Chips are tiny and phones are glass, so why are circuits still flat and green?

The printed circuit board played a pivotal role in World War 2, and it's barely changed since then. Nearly every modern device has at least one circuit board; they're so ubiquitous, we just assume that electronics are flat rectangles. It wasn't always that way - once upon a time, terrifying globs of exposed connections and miles-long webs of wrapped wires lurked behind the wood veneer.

See how the literal foundation of technology is made, learn about the modern features that enable powerful electronics, catch a glimpse of the advanced future, and most importantly, discover why, after 80 years of progress, we still put all our circuits on boards.

Please send PCB board mill donations to:
Fat Cat Fab Lab c/o Zack Freedman
224 W 4th St
#250
New York, NY 10014

Special thanks to Evil Monkeyz Designz, who contributed the gorgeous microscope pictures of electronic modules. Thanks to my beloved wife-slash-camerawoman-slash-producer Brooke! And thanks to YOOOOUUUUUU, for sharing my enthusiasm for technology.

Audio credits:
Arc welder SFX - Blastwave FX via ZapSplat.com
Twinkle SFX - ZapSplat.com
"Bring Back" by Sro - FreeMusicArchive.org