In college we had "The Free University" where block of classrooms and times were made available for anyone to teach anything. There were the usual photography, musical instrument playing, cooking, sewing, a few classes on very adult subjects, and our course on "20th Century Survival". My roommate and I demonstrated how to deal with mundane issues around the home, such as faucet washer replacement, fuse replacement, lamp cord replacement, speaker hookup, and because there was interest, some basic auto maintenance.

For our fuse and lamp cord lesson we had a small fuse box, an outlet, and a lamp. Built into this arrangement was a too thin wire. At just the right moment in our (rehearsed) narrative about why we have fuses and why the proper wire size, proper fuses, and tight connections are important, there was a "flash, crackle, generous plume of smoke" from our little circuit. We captured the students' (mostly women from the area) attention.


Ask anyone who has attempted to jump start a car using coat hangers about their lesson in wire size, current, and heating.