The Relay
December 10, 2025 • EPISODE 290
How does a simple relay help us understand electricity and circuits? In this episode of Science LIVE, Roger Billings breaks down the science behind the relay—the clever electromagnetic switch that makes it possible to control circuits with precision. Learn how relays work, why they’re essential in everyday electronics, and how this simple idea became a building block for modern technology. A clear, hands-on look at one of engineering’s most important tools.
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 »
This was great I did not know that it took 40 try’s to make WD40!
wow WD 40 that’s crazy .. !
Dr. Billings is the smartest 🙂
I like how they came up with wd40 and how NASA used it
Thank you Mr. Billings! Cool!
I will try and use wd-40 for the gum on my shoe and see if it will come off.
The DNA facts were great!
I love science LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Poor R-51 got shocked
It was cool to hear about the data and DNA!
Thank you Dr. Billings!
Warning: do not touch that spoon conductor, as r 51 learned, it will shock you. Also, for the 2027 invention fair, which I think is superb, i’m going to invent a device like the coherer except, it will detect radio waves from Voyager 1, which might take a picture of some moons in order to find life. I call it “Enjoy Life”. From Lake Wylie, SC.
The story of WD 40 is cool!
Watching from florida.
Thank you Dr. Billings!
I liked learning about wd40 and can’t wait to share with my dad
R-51 needs to stay on here longer, he is just so funny!
🤣🤣 🤣😂😂😂😅😅😅
Watching from North East Ohio!
I did not know that in one living cell has 3.2 Gigabytes.
r-51 got shocked!!!!!!!
Thank you for the Live. You’re knowledge is incredible!
So cool how tin foil balls can conduct electricity if there is a radio wave.
It was very cool to learn about WD40!
learning is so much fun with acellus!:)
Hello from Texas.
The two spoons and the coil create a relay. R-51 is shocked!
Great lesson! The Relay was super easy to follow.
r51 got shocked lol
If you were flying at a speeds over a thousand miles per hour to space, would the paint peel off?
When you make a mistake never give up always keep trying. I really like that.
I LOVE SCIENCE
Watching from texas -(*_*)-
Storing data as DNA is very interesting.
Dr. Billings were you ever in a movie? It looks like you were in a movie that I’ve watched.
Wow. A singular living human cell having around 3.2 gigabytes of data stored in it was rather interesting
DNA is really cool
When was Morse code first used, and when did it start becoming more frequently used?
I really liked the bells.
There is nothing more fulfilling than getting to absorb so much useful knowledge in just the span of an hour, watching science live is always so amazing!
Poor R51 he was shocked! I googled all the uses for WD-40 and the list goes on forever it seems. Truly amazing
I think its cool Joseph Henry invented the first electric bell in 1831.
This was one of my favorite science live EVER
this live was soo informative! thank you! cant wait for the next one!
I never realized w-d 40 had so many uses!
I enjoyed learning about how they created WD.40.
This episode is so cool
I have heard about DNA storage from somewhere but I forgot where but I’m pretty sure it was from Acellus. DNA storage sounds like a awesome idea though.
this is cool love R51!
i loved this video and storing DNA is so cool
It’s so amazing that we can store data on DNA!!! Technology is getting so advanced!
Amazing episode 🥰
I never knew that about WD40, i use it quite often so its cool to hear the history about it.
I think it is cool that the first electric bell used a loop of turning it off and on again to ring it.
Hi from Ohio
The story of WD-40 is extremely interesting and I want to learn more about it!
definitely buying WD-40 now.
I love Science Live!
I enjoyed learning about the WD40.
Acellus is so fun!
The conversation about the exoplanet in the beginning reminds me of exoplanet WASP-12B. WASP-12B is a planet that is also being ripped apart and absorbed by it’s star. It’s so distorted that it is shaped like an egg. The same things that apply to submersibles in the ocean apply to rockets and spaceships in space. If you don’t build them right, they will implode when put to the test. The experiment with the bell circuit reminds me of Ben Franklin.
Wow, this was amazing!
I really enjoyed this science live! I like that we learned about DNA.
I liked this live and learned so much that I did not know from it, but as always r-51 is my favorite part of the video
I thought the WD 40 was very interesting.
I like that Thomas Edison said he never did a day’s work, it was all fun.
It’s so amazing that we can now store data in DNA!!! Technology is getting insanely advanced!
My dad uses WD 40 all the time when he is working on the cars or trucks especially when the bolts are stuck.
I love R51
I loved learning more about science all the time. I loved learning about the DNA!
I did not know WD-40 has over 2,000 uses.
Science live is Great!
Loved this vid! I was one of the people that complained about the app but now its working great
I loved it!!!!!
I loved learning about transistors!
Wow, Mr. R51 is super funny 😁!
The relay invention is cool.
thank u so much for acellus i have learned so much it has helped a lot and I am in South Africa and today is Thursday.
Thank you for all the new knowledge!
The wd40 segment was awesome!! Thank you for another awesome live!
I wonder what mischief R51 would do next in the next episode😆
watching from Tenessee 🙂
Great video, I loved learning about relays and how they work, can’t wait for next week.
I liked the electricity segment.
Has Dr. Tobias ever invented anything with Dr. Billings related to hydrogen operated products?
This was a really cool Science Live!
imagine if they never kept trying on WD 40, how would we unstick glue from shoes. 😂
But wow. And only 1 person knows the full formula? What happens to that formula when that person is no longer around?
WD-40 is very useful.
I love science!
It’s always fun to learn with Acellus live!