Electricity is a fickle beast. Without it we would have no real control over, heat, light and electronics as we know them would cease to exist. Trying to imagine a world without electricity brings two scenarios to mind: one in which electricity was never invented or discovered (depending on how you look at it) and two, a complete breakdown in electric supply. A breakdown of this kind would be the result of a natural disaster, war or apocalyptic scenario of some kind.
Life Without Electricity
It’s hard to imagine life without electricity. Cormac McCarthy’s book, “The Road” comes to mind. You would not be reading this right now unless someone printed it out and bothered to put it somewhere safe, but that would mean they had access to a printer at some point. You can see how the scenario quickly escalates into a never-ending game of “but ifs.” It’s hard to imagine not having electricity because we’ve relied on it for so long. Many people would argue humans are being spoiled by today’s electronics. Information is too accessible. Media is too prevalent. Kids need to get off their phones. These complaints have merit, but without today’s technology and electronics represent some of human’s greatest accomplishments in the past decade.
What Electricity Means To Us
Successfully landing a rover on Mars, developing intricate channels for companies to use to communicate instantaneously from anywhere on the planet, electric cars and even Uber, the car service, are examples of technology making it easier for us to communicate or work more efficiently. In the first civilizations of Mesopotamia, it was agriculture that allowed us to plant our roots and stick around long enough to start working on other things than simply surviving. Advances in electricity and technology are, in a sense, an extension of this early paradigm: convenience allows us to push forward.
Keeping Power Running
Chances are if you’re reading about electricity or an AC power source, you spend the majority of your time out in the world doing tests that demand a steady or even programmable voltage source. An AC power source you can rely on is as important as a hammer to a carpenter. An output voltage independent from the load and power line are key in generating magnetic fields, testing and qualifying products such as relays, circuit breakers, transformers, relays and meters. Whether you use a AC power source for work or are just interested in electricity safety and testing, you realize the role electricity plays in our society today and surely can appreciate those who tirelessly work and test power supplies so we can work, play and live at the flick of a switch.
