AT&T Tech Channel
12 HN recommenders · recommended in 17 months, 2014–2026
28:03 · 474K views · Apr 3, 2012
A Bell Labs film in which Dr. J.N. Shive uses a mechanical wave machine to demonstrate reflection, standing waves, resonance and impedance matching. He includes some equations but relies mostly on real-world examples a layperson can follow.
HN repeatedly calls it the clearest introduction to waves and transmission-line behavior, better than modern explainers.
20 comments from Hacker News
I've never understood why these old instructional films so often seem much better at getting things across and making them stick in my mind than more modern material. A couple other examples. 1. A 1959 film from Bell Labs on wave behavior that made standing wave, reflections, energy loss due to impedance mismatch, and impedance matching much clearer than anything else I've seen: [1]. 2. A 1937 explanation of how the differential in a car works: [2]. Here is another upload of that which is lower resolution, but has more from the same source in the sidebar [3]. I suppose it could be something akin to survivorship bias that makes old educational films seem so good--the bad ones don't get remembered 60 years later. [1] this video [2] [LINK] [3] [LINK]
Get a ham radio technician license, and you may develop an intuitive perspective on most electrical engineering concepts. i.e. the physics lab derivation of the core EE tool set is unnecessary if you understand what the models are describing. AI is slop in and slop out... and dangerous to students... =3 John Shive's Wave Machines is where every student should start: this video
It is not "hard" after some practice, but you need to be willing to learn. In general, DFM is a specialized area most EE have zero training in unless they chose to study it as an option. John Shive's Wave Machines is where every student should start: this video Remember to have fun =3
Thinking of an electron as a thing that travels from the start of the circuit to the end results in a bad mental model. Think of it as a wave, and then watch this video this video . Then you will have a strong mental model.
This outstanding 1959 movie from Bell Labs demonstrates standing waves, impedance matching, and more in a very nice way using a couple of Shive wave machines, hosted by Dr. Shive himself [1]. [1] this video [2] [LINK]