A small motion on the short end of a lever causes a large motion on the long end.
A small electrical signal on the base of a transistor permits a larger change (matching in shape) from the emitter to the collector of the transistor. This is the type of circuit often referred to as a "power amplifier" by high-fidelity enthusiasts.
A low power signal of 1010 in, can come out strong enough to make the data 1010 available at the inputs of 8 or even 16 other transistors.
Smaller transistors require smaller changes in electrical signals to produce very rapid changes from 1 to 0 in the output.
Software that allows big results to happen from very few keystrokes can make the user feel powerful. I believe this is a major contributing factor to the addictive nature of some programs.
SBBeeman