# What is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453 "2009-01-22T14:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/1 "2009-01-22T14:27:39Z")
The [linked object appears in the background](http://www.crunchgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/big_bang_21.jpg) during some shots of The Big Bang Theory. Guesses so far are some sort of musical instrument, or old technology. In case you’re not familiar with the show, it’s about a group of geeky physicists and their comic interactions with the rest of the world (if that helps). The question arose during the [weekly Cafe Society discussion here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=502586). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/2 "2009-01-22T14:38:15Z")
My first guess was that it is part of the internal structure of a piano, but the arrangement doesn’t really jibe with the key structure. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/3 "2009-01-22T14:58:29Z")
I tried googling some images, and while I still couldn’t find the answer, I did come up with a second question: [What is this woman wearing on her head](http://www.minnpost.com/client_files/alternate_images/3819/mp_main_wide_EarlyComputerMarketing.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![masterofnone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/4 "2009-01-22T15:06:07Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I tried googling some images, and while I still couldn’t find the answer, I did come up with a second question: > > [What is this woman wearing on her head](http://www.minnpost.com/client_files/alternate_images/3819/mp_main_wide_EarlyComputerMarketing.jpg)? Don’t you mean, “What is eating this woman’s head?” ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/5 "2009-01-22T15:15:59Z")
It looks like a lot of power diodes to convert AC into DC. The photo doesn’t have the resolution to examine the parts close enough. ---
**Author:** ![Wiltshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Wiltshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wiltshire)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/6 "2009-01-22T15:27:47Z")
Looks like a row of high power fuses on a distribution rail. Like these models [http://www.igbts.ru/store/hinode/fuses/profile/660GH-125.html](http://www.igbts.ru/store/hinode/fuses/profile/660GH-125.html) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/7 "2009-01-22T15:42:44Z")
[Here](http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn66/squeegee64/bigger_bang_21.jpg) it is enlarged with a ridiculous amount of sharpening. I’m going with something electrical, like **Wiltshire** suggests. The “breaks” every six “nodes” evokes a piano keyboard, but piano keys are [not layed out in that pattern](http://www.bestpianolessons.com/piano-images/piano-keys/piano-keys.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/8 "2009-01-22T15:54:47Z")
It’s not focused, so Diode will remain my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/9 "2009-01-22T15:58:07Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > [What is this woman wearing on her head](http://www.minnpost.com/client_files/alternate_images/3819/mp_main_wide_EarlyComputerMarketing.jpg)? That’s an early model of Digital Equipment Corp.'s “Portable Personal Hairdo.” The technology to build those things has gotten a lot smaller since then. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/10 "2009-01-22T16:01:21Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > [What is this woman wearing on her head](http://www.minnpost.com/client_files/alternate_images/3819/mp_main_wide_EarlyComputerMarketing.jpg)? Don’t talk that way about my governor’s mom! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/11 "2009-01-22T16:22:40Z")
First blush - and thanks to \*\*lieu \*\*for alerting me to this thread - is that it is the guts to an early synthesizer. Lemme see if I can find a pic to support my theory… ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/12 "2009-01-22T16:24:42Z")
My electrical enthusiast friend says it looks like a block of fuses, they do look like those pictured by **Wiltshire**. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/13 "2009-01-22T16:32:38Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > First blush - and thanks to \*\*lieu \*\*for alerting me to this thread - is that it is the guts to an early synthesizer. Lemme see if I can find a pic to support my theory… No joy on my end so far - I have tried Googling some variations on synthesizer. Checking with a friend, but I suspect you guys are on the right track with something more electrical or fuse-ish… ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/14 "2009-01-22T16:55:04Z")
Something made my brain say “thyristor bank” though I really don’t remember ever seeing such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/15 "2009-01-22T16:59:06Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > Something made my brain say “thyristor bank” though I really don’t remember ever seeing such a thing. I thought Thyristors used barter? ---
**Author:** ![Wiltshire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Wiltshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wiltshire)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/16 "2009-01-22T18:15:34Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > I thought Thyristors used barter? No, charge cards. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/17 "2009-01-22T18:43:33Z")
Can I get some background here, since I’ve never seen the show? I read the Wiki page on it, but that doesn’t have much context. What type of place is that screen shot be in? It looks like someone’s apartment, with geek decor…? There seems to be an astrolabe or somesuch at the edge of the shot. ETA: found a wider screen shot [here](http://weblogs.variety.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/24/bigbangmetcalf_2.jpg). So I guess it is an apartment. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/18 "2009-01-22T18:45:43Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > …It looks like someone’s apartment, with geek decor…? Yup. Two university physicists with serious geek decorating sense. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/19 "2009-01-22T18:47:43Z")
I say either fuses or surge suppressors. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453/20 "2009-01-22T19:01:28Z")
I’m going to hazard that its a cast off fuse panel (maybe with a cover removed) used for lighting or some such that was scrounged from spare parts lying around the production company. This works rather well – it looks technical, but nobody knows quite what it is. Perfect for a show like that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this/482453.md?page=2)