i wanted to try my new scientific calculator, so i took the number of transistors in both my cpu and gpu (Q6600 G0 + Nvidia GTX 280) and converted those to a set of tubes that would be separated one from another by 2.5 in. on a board (around 25 tubes per square ft.)

a board containing all those 1 982 000 000 tubes would occupy a space of 2.84 square miles.
in my pc, the total area of those transistors occupy only a few square inches.

See: http://www.blu-ray.com/community/gallery.php?member=Gelli
or: Axiom Gallery