Brilliant design: RCA student radically improves the UK plug
Tiny bit of history:<p>The reason plugs in the UK are so big is that each one must be individually fused. And the reason for that is something called a "ring circuit".<p>In a ring circuit you have, say, a 40 amp fuse at the mains/box. From this you send out two wires, each rated only for 20 amps, going in a circle around the house. You can now supply 40 amps worth of power using only cheaper 20 amp wires. (Since the current can flow over both wires at once.)<p>But this means that the wires going to an individual appliance are far too small for the main breaker, so each appliance gets a fuse in the plug.<p>Ring circuits have serious drawbacks, but they helped during a time when there was a copper shortage.<p>And ever since then the UK has been stuck with huge plugs.