Component failure Memes

Behold, the rare LER in its natural habitat—a resistor that decided career limitations were for lesser components. When your circuit design is so flawed that your resistor starts emitting light, you've either discovered a new physics phenomenon or you're about to file an insurance claim. That burning glow isn't innovation; it's what electrical engineers call "thermal runaway," or as we say in the lab, "time to update your resume." Next week on National Geographic: The migration patterns of smoke particles from your circuit board.