# The Secret Life of Circuits with lcamtuf / Michał Zalewski

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2026-06-04
- Length: 59m
- Episode: 725
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/725-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-michal-zalewski/

## Summary

Security researcher and electronics enthusiast Michał Zalewski (lcamtuf) discusses his new book, The Secret Life of Circuits, published by No Starch Press, which aims to bridge the gap between hobbyist plumbing analogies and college-level calculus in teaching electronics. Zalewski argues for teaching modern practical problem-solving, focusing on FETs and modern components like MCUs rather than obsolete parts, while also sharing his passion for collecting and reverse-engineering vintage calculators. He reflects on the intersection of software security and hardware, the impact of AI on creative work, and the economic challenges of selling handmade physical products in a market dominated by cheap manufacturing.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=0) Introduction: Michał Zalewski (lcamtuf) and The Secret Life of Circuits
- [3:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=231) Teaching Electronics: Bridging Plumbing Analogies and Calculus
- [11:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=713) Cross-Pollination: Software Security, Abstractions, and Rowhammer
- [25:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=1548) Calculator Collecting: History, Displays, and Mechanics
- [41:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=2482) Book Pedagogy: FETs, BJTs, and First Principles
- [46:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=2769) Projects: Voltmeter Clock and Sokoban Console
- [51:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski#t=3097) The Economics of Handmade Hardware and AI

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- The Secret Life of Circuits (product)
- No Starch Press (company)
- lcamtuf (other)
- Michał Zalewski (other)
- Chris Gammell (other)
- Snapchat (company)
- Google (company)
- Rowhammer (other)
- Casio (company)
- Sharp (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- LM741 (chip)
- Sokoban (product)
- Tim Mitzella (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [058 - Technically Met the Specs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2022-06-15-058-technically-met-the-specs) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [181: Work on It for Ten Years](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-12-30-181-work-on-it-for-ten-years) (Embedded.fm)
- [372: The Motivation of Creativity](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-05-06-372-the-motivation-of-creativity) (Embedded.fm)
- [261: Blowing Their Fragile Little Minds](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2018-09-21-261-blowing-their-fragile-little-minds) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep 256: 0, 256, 400, 100, and 10000000](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2024-02-09-ep-256-0-256-400-100-and-10000000) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

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