Radio Waves
November 12, 2025 • EPISODE 286
How do invisible waves travel across the world and beyond? In this episode of Science LIVE, Dr. Roger Billings dives into the fascinating science of radio waves—how they’re created, how they move through space, and how they make long-distance communication possible. From the basics of frequency and transmission to early breakthroughs like Morse code and modern applications such as HAM radio and space communication, join us as we explore the hidden currents that keep us connected.
About DrB
Dr. Roger Billings is a visionary innovator whose work has touched the lives of millions of students and transformed the landscape of education. Widely known as “DrB” to the countless kids who benefit from his groundbreaking Acellus learning system, Dr. Billings has dedicated his life to advancing education through technology.
As part of DrB’s lifelong commitment to supporting education, Science LIVE was launched as a way to “give back” by mentoring students in conjunction with the Roger Billings Scholarship Program.
Read more about DrB »
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »
Do Truck drivers use ham radio and how would they have a radio tower.
Morse code was used for world war one and two when their radio was broken.
I did not know about the radio waves – am and fm. Is that why there is such a high sound when the am radio is not on the right Channel
Did you know: The fictional astronaut Buzz Light-year from Disney Pixar’s Toy Story, is actually named after the second man on the moon, Neil Armstrong’s partner on Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin.
Fun fact of the day brought to you by a Disney nerd who fancies science, haha.
Hey from Delaware! 🙂
Oh my gosh, I was thinking the same exact thing! Well, close enough to it, haha. Nice to know I’m not the only Disney / science nerd!
That’s amazing that you knew that!
hello from Tennessee. I love Science Live!
Can ham radio signals be picked up by a car / home radio?
Morse code is so cool
I love Science live I learn something new every time I watch it thank you Acellus!!
Hello, did they use Morse code during the first space mission?
Hi from Canada. The radio station section is very interesting especially about radio waves.
I wish they would teach Morse code in schools more often
I want to learn Morse code
my flashlight can blink SOS.
that’s cool
i think they should teach basic morse code in school 🩷
I agree.
Love watching these!
why do you need a license for a ham radio?
You need a ham radio license because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires it to ensure authorized use of radio frequencies, prevent interference with other services like cellular and GPS, and maintain order on the airwaves. The licensing process verifies that operators have the necessary knowledge of radio regulations and safe operating procedures before they transmit.
Dr. Billings, what’s the difference between AM/FM radio stations and HAM radio?
Knowing Morse Code is kind of like knowing a secret language.
What is consistent timing for transmitting?
How long would it take to learn Morris code?
I would love to learn morse code, it seems so interesting!
I like the thinking of di & da and you can know how to remember them by simple toons.
is morse code still a common form of communication
My dad is teaching me about HAM radio. It’s really cool to learn about and very useful.
I didn’t get to see the northern lights 🙁
I have a poster in my room about morse code!
This is my first time joining the science live. I just started Acellus this week.
When I was younger, my friends and I used to send secret messages in Morse code- we thought we were spies! It was such a fun way to communicate, even though it took forever to spell out a message.
Dr. Roger Billings Thank you for teaching us so much.
I absolutely love Science Live, it is an amazing addition to my schooling!
i have been waiting all week for this!!!! i hope he shows more shirts !!!
I think Morse code should be learned by everyone for unexpected events
is morse code used in like military emergences?
one thing I like about acellus is that we still have fun while doing school work and watching this live
Why do people like to learn Morse code and who came up with the idea?
How can Morse Code can be interpreted?
Morse code is interpreted by translating a sequence of short and long signals (dots and dashes, or dits and dahs) into letters and words based on a standard alphabet chart. For audio transmission, the signals are heard as beeps, while visual transmission uses light flashes or physical movements. Key to interpretation is understanding the timing, where the spaces between dits/dahs, between letters, and between words have different durations.
Hi from Kentucky science live is my favorite part of my week.
I’d never heard of Morse code before; it’s something new and interesting to learn.
I love learning from Roger Billings. I learn new things.
Dr B how long did it take to make your first invention
love this stuff
I liked learning about Morse code!
Dr. Billings needs a radio talk show lol 😀
Thats cool that a watch saved astronauts lifes
How does Morse code connect to a radio frequency
Morse code is so cool, and I think everyone should learn at the very least the basics of Morse code in case of emergency.
This is my second science live I really like it so far
I love science live + funny story I ‘m trying to learn. Morse code myself !!
Morse Code was such a amazing idea!
Morse code is interesting, but I can never remember the letters in code 🙁
Could we hear the Morse code sound
I want to learn morse code.
Did you guys get to see the aurora borealis?
Hello there, I’m watching from Montana.
morse code was really important in ww2/ww1
Who invented Morse code, and what was it originally made for?
is Morse code a mostly military used thing?
Happy Wednesday
That’s so cool!! Radio waves are very interesting.
Do you plan on working with more projects or start any more Dr. Roger Billings
Morse code is very interesting
Is braille tied into morse code?
No, Braille and Morse code are not directly tied together; they are separate systems that both serve as codes for representing letters, but they are fundamentally different. Morse code uses a series of audible or visual signals (dots and dashes), while Braille uses a tactile system of raised dots. They do share the principle of assigning shorter codes to more frequent letters for efficiency.
I learned something new tonight. When doing radio, leave the kickles and the pickles out lol.
hello from Kentucky. I love science live!
I have a question how long does it take to get to be a radio talker
Morse code is used for boats but would it be used in towns?
I love science life! Rodger billings is the best.
Have you ever used Morse code or binary code in one of your experiments, if so, which one?
Is there a Morse Code class in Acellus? If not, can you make one?
Truly appreciate Dr. Billings sharing his knowledge and exploring scientific concepts with us every week! I never realized how significant the power of radio operations are in our daily lifestyles. Imagine how impactful this could be for disabled individuals, to rescue through the power of our hands.
Today at an auction my Dad saw a hydrogen car for the first time it was a gold color and it was really nice looking.🤍✨
Happy Wednesday from Virginia Beach!
That experience of the astronaut sounds awesome and exciting, but also kind of scary
For Dr. Billings, if you weren’t an inventor, what would you be?
Hi. I am Mia from San Antonio, Texas. How do I learn how to use the hand operator codes?
We had someone teach about moore’s code while at a BSA Camp.
why do you need a ham radio license?
I have been learning about ham radio. My dad is working to get his ham radio license.
Who invented Morris code and is it widely used around the world today?
I think it was so cool how they used the watch to time things while on the moon!!
I like the watches made for astronauts. The Morse code is very interesting. How did you ever learn all of those codes?
If I take a career in the military in Radio (CCT) could I be a radio announcer for a station? Would that help me?
how much does it cost to get a ham radio license?
Thank you for Acellus DrB and team, best school ever
love Dr.B
How do you get your ham radio license?
i think morse code should be the universal language for people of higher ranks ( world leaders, big partnering company’s, high status people in general)
how often do you think people use morse code in real life
I have a morse code bracelet that says my name!
science live is cool
is morse code a universal language? how do you adapt different languages to the structure of morse code so everyone understands?
Morse code is so cool!
No, Morse code is not a universal language, but it is a system that can be adapted for many languages, and International Morse Code is the most common version for Latin-alphabet languages. Adaptations are made by creating specific Morse code sequences for letters in different alphabets, such as Greek or Cyrillic. For languages with thousands of characters, like Chinese, a different approach is used where four-digit number codes represent each character, which are then transmitted using standard Morse code.
I hope we can see the northern lights tonight!!
Did you see them last night?? They were so pretty!☺️
Wow 🤩 I have not seen them yet because of all the light in my town. 🥺
Morse code!!
Ham radio and Morse code are pretty fascinating and fun!
Howdy from Seeley Lake, Montana! It’s so cool that you know morse code! I would love to learn! I want to be a radio host!
how long does it take to earn the licensing?
Love science live from Atlanta, Georgia!
How hard would it be for an average person to learn Morse code. How long would it take roughly?
Personally I think it would take a couple years, but it depends on how fast or slow of a learner that person is.
I still haven’t forgotten the “Kickle Pickle Radio” joke from last time- XD
What are all of Morse code letters you know?
I was wondering when you learned to become a radio operator
How much morse code do you know?
What is CQ
He said it means Seek You.
I’m learning Morse Code at home!
Why would people use morse code?
Hi from Indiana. Thank you sooooo much for teaching me this year. Science is sooo cool.
Hello from tx its always so fun to watch these they teach me somthing new every week
Morse code is pretty cool
Hi from North Carolina! I’ve always loved learning about Morse code!
Dear roger billings do you have any plans for hydrogen robots?
Do they have online classes that are available to learn morse code??
What else can the laser cooling technique be used for? What other intensive or life threatening situations can the Omega Speed Master Watch be used for?
Is morse code still widely used today?
Why was there such a need at the start for having a proper watch on the space mission to the moon?
Does Dr. Pajet Monet know Morse Code?
Are there still many ham radio operators in the US?
How hard is it to get started learning morse code?
how far can Morse code go in miles?
Do you have any tips and tricks for coding?
I always wanted to learn morse code
I can’t wait to see the Aurora Borealis
Who knew you need a special license for a radio!!?
Who was the inventor of the morse code machine?
Morse code is a very old method of communication
Really enjoyed the Omega watch and NASA story. If you produce a product do it to the best of your ability.
Hey y’all!!! I love science live
My dad uses radio codes for his job.
Morse code is so cool
KICKLE PICKLE RADIO
Morse code is really cool
That omega watch is so cool.
The stories about those space missions makes me want to buy an Omega watch now.
I don’t think I could ever be an astronaut but it’s super cool
Morse code should be like one of those things taught I feel like it would be cool to know how to do something like that and most definitely helpful.
Feel small when we look at outer space
Love these talks!!
Morse code could be insanely useful given the way stuff is going now
I love being homeschooled with acellus
Morse code is so hard to learn with all the beeps
I learned some Morse code in the civil air patrol.
Hi, I’m from Oergon I love science, its so cool!
Morse Code is so fascinating.
When was Morse code invented, and by whom, for what purpose?
My Grandfather knows morse code and has a ham radio
Hello Dr. Roger Billing, do they still teach Morse code in schools?
Morse code sounds like a song
Oh I’m going to missed this lives when I graduate. I enjoy them so much. Love Wednesdays and Love Acellus! 🙂🙂
Mr. Billings who taught you how to do Morse code or did you teach your self?
Hi. This is Maddie from San Antonio, Texas. Do they still use hand operator codes today?
Morse code has always been really interesting to me!
I liked learning about the watch
Hi from Maryland. I love watching science live.
I wonder if he got the snoopy watch
I never get tired of space!
I love the dahh dahh sound of morse code
Roger Billings should make a morse code class and become a singer too!
I love Science Live!
I LOVE SCIENCE LIVE!
Who invented moris code and was it for military or something else?
I want to learn Moris code
Hello from NY! I always learn something new and interesting from these Science Live videos!
Dr. BIllings, I enjoyed your explanation before on how you came up with gigabit network speeds but I don’t remember some of the details on how. Could you possibly explain it again?
That story about the watches was really cool. It’s important to always have a backup!
knowing Morse code is so cool!
Can you power watches with hydrogen?
hello from Illinois! amazing show !
Morse code is super interesting. When was Morse code created?
The Q in morse code reminds me of 20th century fox intro
I think Morse code is super cool! I would love to learn it!
Well, know I’ll know how to say “SOS” in morse code 😀
Oh, my gosh!!! I LOVE this live science so much!!!
(Hello from illinos!!!)
It must be scary to be on a rocket and having to time it exactly seventeen secs with a watch.
How did they decide what pattern of dots and dashes meant what letter in the alphabet?
The wedding march
I wonder if the space watch could also work on Mars? That’s something I would like to see.
Science live is so cool
I tried learning Morse code once, but I was unsure how to space letters and separate words. And that seems like the most difficult part.