Flash Circuit: 4 Olga: 0

So, I was working on my engineering homework this morning (after 1 am). The assignment was to analyze a disposable camera and write a memo to our pretend company's disposable camera development team.

I was actually kind of excited to do this project because I had heard about how flash circuits work but I had never seen or played with one. So, I start tearing this thing up; plastic parts are flying everywhere, camera film is rolling

around the desk, then I finally get to the flash circuit.

First thing I do is close the charge switch. I listen as the current is pulled from the battery through resistors into the capacitor hidden in the back. The charge-ready bulb lights up and I'm ready to witness Bremsstrahlung radiation in action. As I reach to close flash contact I accidentally make contact with the leaf metal charging contact and capacitor discharges through me.

Ahhhhhh. "Ouch" and "shit" were the only two words out of my mouth for a while after that. It hurt a surprising amount. And that's not even the end of this story. Still cursing I took the battery out and was determined to get the damn circuit free from the plastic casing. I managed to shock myself 3(!!!) MORE times doing that. I'm not talking rub-your-feet-on-the-carpet-in-a-Vegas-hotel-and-touch-a-metal-door-handle shock either. This was painful enough for me to yell obscenities at the circuit for a few minutes, while I was alone in the room, mind you. All 4 of those shocks were through the same finger. I'm wondering if there was a blood vessel that popped because I now see a thin red line under my skin.

Ta daaaa!