The big time: build a giant version of the 555 Timer IC [Resources_Hands On]

Biologists have plastic DNA helices, astronomers have celestial globes, and chemists the ubiquitous periodic table wall chart. These iconic objects each encapsulate a foundational piece of working knowledge, recognizable to all practitioners in a field. Sadly, such touchstones are thin on the ground for electrical engineers. Although pretty, vacuum tubes, for example, are a niche technology these days, while the transistors and integrated circuits that define the discipline are a bit on the small side for easy viewing. So I was pleased when I learned about the recent creation of the US $35 Three Fives Discrete 555 Timer Kit, sold by Evil Mad Scientist, a DIY and open-source hardware company located in Silicon Valley.