We have all been there – we are sat at a desk, we have a USB stick, we plug it in and it doesn’t fit so you turn it over….it doesn’t fit, so you flip it again- IT FITS!!!! Every. Time.
Quantum Physics can explain; USB sticks actually exist in 3 states – Up position, down position and superposition. The USB must be flipped at least twice before it reaches the state that allows in which it can work – The Superposition.
This is a phenomenon and it has a name – it’s called ‘USB Uncertainty’ and yes, this is a real thing.
From experience, what SHOULD be a simple exercise becomes one fraught with frustration, jiggling, flipping, and eventually, throwing. There have been many online forums suggesting hints and tips identifying the right way around when plugging in a USB. From Tippex, to nail varnish and even using hot glue guns (of which I am not sure whether this is a regular household item) it seems that we all need a helping hand when doing battle with the USB.
Previously there had been whisperings that you could tell which way to plug in a USB because the symbol was embossed on the side that should be facing up – after much inspection, I can tell you that this magical symbol is not possessed by all USBs. However – stop the press because rumor has it that there is a legitimate way that indicates the correct way that a USB should be plugged in. If you look for the metal seam that runs down one side of the USB – this, it has been, said is the bottom of the USB. In most computers with horizontal ports, a USB can be plugged in the first time by ensuring that the metal seam is facing down.
For those working with vertical ports, keeping the metal seam to the left will also give you that first-time satisfaction that we all crave. You may find on some machines that the USB ports are actually upside down – but once you have found this out for yourself, at least you know for future reference!
If you have ever achieved the holy grail of putting the USB in on the first try (before you learned how to do it properly!) – We would like to hear from you!
