<p>When you call <code>load</code> or <code>require</code> a new file, Ruby searches through the files in its load path. This allows you to require files relative to the load path without specifying the files full system path.</p> <p>The initial load path contains paths for Ruby’s standard library. There are three aliases that point to Rubys global load path array: <code>$:, $-I, $LOAD_PATH<