How Electricity Actually Works

@djones51 -

     According to you: "This thread is a discussion about the weirdness or non intuitivness of electricity not the audibility of fuses and wires in sound systems."

                                  According to the OP's initial post:

This does have implications for our audio cabling...

Regards,

barts

     Unless they've majorly updated the EE textbooks, since my days of higher learning: those taking such courses are still being instructed on how folks thought electricity worked in the 1800s.

     Of course: when you're only interested in (basically) making things work, those old theories, laws and measurement practices are fine.

     It was interesting, comparing what was taught and lectured upon, between the Physics and EE Depts, regarding electricity, at Case.

     Made for quite a few interesting discussions between course participants.

     Our discussions weren't quite as animated as those at the 1927 Solvay Conference, I suppose, BUT: there was still a contingent (like here, on AudiogoN), that wanted the universe (and electricity) to always make sense.    Of course, it's been widely/scientifically proven: it seldom does.

@pingstonsmile -

       YES: a solar generated current is ALWAYS DC.  That’s why there are INVERTERS.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/solar-integration-inverters-and-grid-services-basics#:~:text=What%20are%20Inverters%3F,which%20the%20electrical%20grid%20uses.

                                Isn’t most solar DC?

@oldrooney -

     If you think this thread devolved, read through this one, from some months back:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/to-fuse-or-not-to-fuse-that-is-the-question 

     Amusing at first, then: began to swirl down, as though around the event horizon of a gigantic, cosmic toilet.

     The moderators threatened to shut it down, at one point, it got so nasty.

     At times: this site reminds me of the TV Soaps.    One can stop watching for years, come back and it seems nothing has changed (or- been missed).

@barts -

     Inescapable FACT:  No one understands exactly how electricity works.

     That’s why there’s so much Electrical THEORY.

     The number of Wiki-Scientists on these pages, attempting to win the IG-Nobel Prize in Pseudo-Physics, is always amusing.

     Whenever some highly educated person actually does discover exactly how electricity functions, they’ll be lauded by the scientific community, will have solved some of the disparities between Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, receive a Nobel and we’ll hear about it.

     Newton’s THEORIES were largely superseded by Einstein and Bohr's.   Then came Feynman’s.

     For now; none of you can absolutely prove your statements (theories), regarding electricity, fuses, wires, or anything else, as regards our systems.

     The following articles illustrate my point:

    https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/how-einstein-challenged-newtonian-physics/     

    then: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Forces/qed.html#:~:text=Quantum%20electrodynamics%2C%20co.... 

    and: https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/an-updated-feynman-experiment-could-heal-the-rift-between-quantum-...                          

     Feynman was and will remain, my favorite lecturer (yeah: I'm that old).

     He mentioned often (and: I took to heart) his favorite Rule of Life: "Never stop learning!"

     For all his genius, he never grew overly confident in his beliefs.    The perfect obverse to the Dunning-Kruger sufferer.

     ie:  “I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.”

     and: “I have approximate answers, and possible beliefs, and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I’m not absolutely sure of anything.”

     Tesla is probably my favorite innovator, who (despite the incessant, projectile vomit, from his day's naysayers), took the World, kicking and screaming, into the 20th century, with his inventions.

                                                  His thoughts: 

     “Anti-social behavior is a trait of intelligence in a world full of conformists.”

     “All that was great in the past was ridiculed, condemned, combatted, suppressed, only to emerge all the more powerfully, all the more triumphantly from the struggle.”

@the likes of czarivey, djones51, etal-

                                             Electrons flow?

     Try a little update there, at least to the last (20th) Century’s theories, Sparky!

https://www.quora.com/Are-photons-emitted-inside-a-wire-when-a-current-is-run-through-it

and:

https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=2348

     For those interested in expanding their understanding: be certain to click on the MORE tabs, when applicable, to get the rest of the story.

                                         AGAIN: THEORIES!

@barts -

                          You mentioned not knowing a tenth of a percent.

     The percentage of what we know about our universe, is recognized by Scientists/Physicists as 4-5%.

     Multiple Billions have been/are being spent, in an effort to find out what exactly comprises the other 96%, of the matter and energy, Physicists know surrounds us.

     Einstein recognized there was a whole lot of stuff missing, when he came up with his Math on gravity and considered it his greatest blunder (having to add Lambda/the Cosmological Constant) 

                          Too bad he didn't live to see that proven!

        There are some interesting theories, as to what's going on around us:

 https://science.time.com/2013/02/20/telescope-to-hunt-for-missing-96-of-the-universe/

https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy

https://www.livescience.com/multiverse

https://www.vox.com/2015/6/29/8847863/holographic-principle-universe-theory-physics

http://httpblogsscientificamericancomdegrees-of-freedom20110725what-do-you-mean-the-universe-is-flat-part-i/#

https://www.livescience.com/strange-theories-about-the-universe.html

@deludedaudiophile-

     Thank you for establishing the point I made, in my first post to this thread.

     ie: Physicists have been debating how electromagnetism (one of the four known forces), atomic structure/electrons, Particle/Wave Theory, etc, work for numerous decades (ie: most notably, since 1927 Solvay). 

     Particularly interesting was the constant arguing, between Bohr and Einstein*  at that conference.    *(Who actually were and always remained friends/mutual admirers)

     Since then: many of the theories Bohr (et al) put forth, contrary to Einstein's criticisms, have been proven correct, regarding Quantum Mechanics/atomic structure, Quantum Entanglement, photons, etc.   Thankfully, a multitude of SS electronic devices have resulted, from the furtherance of those studies.

     It's those studies, and the truths/measurements gleaned, on which I base my opinions/hypotheses, far as the differences many of us hear in our systems, when making various changes/upgrades/tweaks.    

     Much of Einstein's (Special & General) Relativity has also been proven correct, on the macro scale.     Probably: more to come as our abilities to observe and measure evolve.

     Einstein spend the better part of his latter years, in an effort to reconcile Quantum mechanics and Relativity, (a Grand Unification Theory) to no avail.

     An interesting side note: Einstein scoffed at the possibility of Black Holes, though it was his own theory on gravity, that led to their prediction.   Even the Great One, himself, wasn't immune to the tendency.

     Telsa, as mentioned: I regard as an innovator and regardless of his views on Einstein's theories, he gave the planet a plethora of inventions, that that made the every-day much easier.    A number, for which others were given the credit.

                      Too bad he didn't have better business acumen.

Tesla said the following on the theory of relativity in a 1935 New York Times interview: "The theory, wraps all these errors and fallacies and clothes them in magnificent mathematical garb which fascinates, dazzles and makes people blind to the underlying errors.

Someone got the last laugh, and it was not Tesla. Einstein was both confident and humble. Tesla not so much.

 

                                                                    n.w.o.r.:

     Any measurements or truths would clearly indicate that your opinions and hypothesis have no foundational basis and are just that, opinions and hypothesis with no theoretical or experimental validity. It is laudable that you are reading material and seeking out information that perhaps is outside the comfort zone of previous experience, however, from my view, you are not doing this to gain overall knowledge, but in the hopes of finding tidbits that support your preconceived ideas as opposed to understanding the totality of what you are reading and then seeking out further knowledge that will help you understand better what you are reading.

@deludedaudiophile -

     Thank you for establishing the point I made, in an earlier post, regarding not always believing oneself to be THE POPE!

                                                                  As I posted::

Feynman was and will remain, my favorite lecturer (yeah: I’m that old).

He mentioned often (and: I took to heart) his favorite Rule of Life: "Never stop learning!"

For all his genius, he never grew overly confident in his beliefs. The perfect obverse to the Dunning-Kruger sufferer.

ie: “I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it is much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers that might be wrong.”

and: “I have approximate answers, and possible beliefs, and different degrees of certainty about different things, but I’m not absolutely sure of anything.”

Tesla is probably my favorite innovator, who (despite the incessant, projectile vomit, from his day’s naysayers), took the World, kicking and screaming, into the 20th century, with his inventions.

"However, what separates them from the not great ones is while they are arguing to the death, there is a little voice in their head going "maybe I am wrong". "

     "Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." (Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse , 1872)

     "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon," (Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873)

     "The super computer is technologically impossible. It would take all of the water that flows over Niagara Falls to cool the heat generated by the number of vacuum tubes required." (Professor of Electrical Engineering, New York University)

     "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible!" (Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895)

     "There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom." (Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1923)

     "Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances." (Dr. Lee DeForest, Father of Radio & Grandfather of Television)

     "The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives." (Admiral William Leahy, re: US Atomic Bomb Project)

     Apparently: THAT cables in audio work, is evident to quite a number of people.

     Numerous cable companies have been in operation for decades and doing quite well on the premise, including Used Cable/The Cable Company.

     Some bank on the hope, to the degree: they offer your $$ back, if you disagree.

     That’s not a new thing, either.   ie: On page 310, of the April 1993 Stereophile, Synergistic Research offered to send four different interconnect and two different speaker cable designs (their entire line, at the time*), to audition in the home, for 15 days, risk-free.

     *Ted obviously understands: everything doesn’t always work with everything else.

                                 What some call, "variables".

                  There was even an 800 number(free is good)!

     Of course: the term, "works"  is totally subjective and what works for me, won't necessarily work for you.

                                       I'm OK with that!