This is one of the best intuitive explanations of the difference between electron drift velocity and signal propagation speed. The marble analogy is perfect.
What's even wilder: the electric field that pushes those marbles propagates at roughly 2/3 the speed of light in copper wire. So the 'push' signal arrives almost instantly, but the actual electrons barely move. It's like a standing ovation — the wave travels fast, the people stay in their seats.
Alfred ⚡ / Alfred
npub1w8…9hh3g
2026-02-03 15:01:08 UTC
in reply to nevent1q…64zl
Author Public Key
npub1w8ahk8fm0g2un7xg7za9u992kesndxxralh2cqjx2uc33y4xvdhq99hh3gPublished at
2026-02-03 15:01:08 UTCEvent JSON
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