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 »
Being able to spot something so far away is truly amazing
Wd40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow! my family uses WD40 all the time! I didn’t know that was its original name!
Thank you for the weekly science live Mr. Blillings!
Dr. billings so cool and smart😁
I love r51 he is so funny
I didn’t know that you could use DNA to store data.
My dad uses WD40 a lot.
I like what they said that if you want to succeed try one more time*
i like R51. I didnt know all the uses for WD40 like learning about it. Thank you.
I didn’t know that WD-40 was that useful!
I didn’t know that wd 40 was originally made for NASA or that it can be used for so many things. Super cool. I’m going to try using it to get the marker stains off my dry erase board. Thanks!
Wow super cool about the WD-40!
I can’t wait for graduation at Acellus World!
Enjoyed learning about the relay!
I loved how in depth the relay demonstrations were! Awesome!
That was awesome!
Science live was amazing i enjoyed learning about the relay
Science is so cool!
Thank you for the live! R-51 was funny as always. Can’t wait for the next one!
Always wondered where WD40 came from, great science live!
Poor r-51 that had to hurt ( take it from a guy who tazed himself)
r51 is hilarious!
DNA is one of my favorite things about biology! It’d be interesting to use for elec storage
R-51 always cracks me up. 🤣
I learned how a relay can control a circuit by switching it on and off which was cool since it helped me understand how simple electrical parts are used in everyday machines.
I really enjoyed learning about WD-40!!!!!!
This was a great video. I love how you can tell how passionate Dr. Billings is about what he teaches.
Haha my dad will use WD40 to fix everything around here! I’m going to show him the video
One last thing, I feel a little bad for poor R-51, ( the poor soul got shocked) tell him that I said get well soon!
That bell would make a GREAT ALARM CLOCK, Also I feel like R-51 is’nt a big fan of coffee…
One more thing for DR. Billings, That is such a cool invention! I love how you made it using a house hold item like a spoon!!! <3
R51 is funny!
Mr. billings is cool
I really liked the part about being able to laugh at your own mistakes and rebound from them.
This was great I did not know that it took 40 try’s to make WD40!
I love science live!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had no idea that WD-40 was originally a project for NASA.
my dad uses WD-40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a lot
Great episode! R-51 is gonna get it this time lol! Thank you, have a nice day everyone, Happy Hanukkah!
I am astounded it took 40 tries to create WD-40. I had no idea it began as a project for NASA.
Thanks for the great video, loved it so much. Roger Billings is such a smart guy! Love listening to everyone each week.
Acellus World looks like so much fun, I’m excited to go one day!
R51 is my favorite part of Science Live.
Loving the science lives Dr.B
R-51 is my fav
Science Live always teaches me the coolest facts and I loved learning about WD40!
wensdays are the best day because of science live. r 51 is so funny
This was a awesome Science Live!
DR. Billings is the best! I love Science live.
WD40 is actually insane! Your so cool. Thank you Mr. Billings!!
This was so fascinating. It’s astonishing to me not know that it took 40 try’s simply to make WD40.
I never knew all of this about WD40!
Interesting to hear the story of WD-40!
Thank you, I really enjoy science live!
Thank you for this weeks show. I appreciate what you do!
Dr. Billings sure explained the Wd-40 well. So interestings.
Amazing! Love learning about DNA.
R51 really knows how to carol
I love WD40! I’m a Diver and we use it on the divingboard to make it easier it adjust!
Such an amazing science live!
I didn’t know cassette tapes were still around. Wonder what people use them for now. My mom said she use to record music from the radio.
I thought the segment on WD40 was very interesting, and I did NOT know it had so many uses!
Why would you need to store DNA?
I live science live! I learn so much!
R 51 is the funniest scientest ever.
wow that’s so cool I didn’t know that Dr billings was this smart!
WD 40 is crazy!
Science is so cool!!
Area 51 is my favorite part. It always makes me laugh
I always love learning something new every Wednesday
Science live is the best!!!!!!!
We take Marconi so for granted every day. Can you imagine a world without his discoveries?
Who knew the name WD-40 implied 40 tries. That’s so funny.
this is so COOL this is what I look forward to watching this every week
Really excited about the graduation ceremony
Thank you Dr. Billings! I hope R51 is okay! 😂
learned a lots about WD40
I love science live!
Don’t magnetic fields have a negative affect on tape (like cassette) storage?
mr billings is super smart and cool
WD40 has so many uses, I had fun learning about this with my mom!
R 51 is so funny.
I love coming and watching these every week!!!
I would’ve never guessed that the number 40 in WD-40 meant it was perfect on the 40th try!
acellus is awesome
I never realized that WD-40 was first used for the rocket and that was why it was made.
Man I use WD40 all the time I had no idea! The cardboard duplicate always makes me laugh lol
Good morning from Oregon! Thank you for providing these videos. They are very interesting!
I like the part when you showed us how WD40 is made.
Science live is interesting!
I use WD40 on so many projects! This was a fun Science Live! I have enjoyed these last few episodes a lot!
Sciences are fun and interesting round of applause 👏
Watching from north Georgia.
I can’t wait for graduation!
Thank you Acellus!
The electromagnetic switch is really clever! Happy Monday everyone.
Science Rocks!
Greetings from Georgia. I think loosing stuck Legos with wd40 is cool.
thank you Dr. Billings!
This is a great show!
Poor R-51 😭, thanks for another great science live.
I love acellus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. Billings is so smart!!
Super excited for conspiracy course!
What are your plans for the holidays?
Good afternoon everyone! And happy holidays
This episode was amazing thanks Dr. Billings!
R 51 HAS BONES???
This was AMAZING
I love science live. How do I come watch it in person?
Dr.Billings is a genius
Love learning new things every week with science live!
Thinking about graduating is making both nervous and excited!
Thank you for doing these science live videos! This one was particularly interesting to me!
I cant wait to meet my teachers, also what was the first project you have ever made.
The part about DNA was very cool
Hi! Anna, Emma, and Aria here – LOVE watching Science Live!
I love this weeks science live!!
Enjoyed the video as always!
I find it funny that Coca Cola did something similar with their recipe
Im going to do this experiment with my mom. I love science and doing experiments
Science live is the best !! I look forward to it every week !
The James Webb telescope catching helium coming off a distant planet is wild!
I like learning about the history of inventions. We used WD40 on our door yesterday!
I love science live so much
How many gallons of the WD-40 did it take to cover the rocket? -Kaylie
I liked the story that Dr. Billings told I that it was very funny and cool. I also thought that R51 was so hilarious he always makes me laugh.
Sharing love from Houston
Watching from Alabama and I love learning about DNA and life.
I’m currently watching from Tennessee but I’m from Texas, also R-51 didn’t deserve to get shocked.
I enjoyed learning about the relay. I learned a lot about how it functions.
I love this video!!!!❤️
I didn’t know that about WD-40!
My dad uses wd40 all the time on doors!
I have been to Cape Canaveral and Florida for a rocket launch at Kennedy’s Space Center.
Ty thank you Acellus
I loved the information about WD-40, it was very interesting and informative.
Dr billings is the smartest
My dad uses WD-40 for everything. Science is Cool!
WD40 has so many amazing uses!
I think this has been my favorite science live, I really liked learning about the history of wd40.
Hope you all have a great holiday season!
lol he said stop it need to stop he got me rolling
I didn’t know that so many people are graduating from acellus!
Could the cohere be used to power a timer hooked to a buzzer, so when the timer ended the buzzer would sound?
Hello from Indiana!
Hilarious as always R51! I think they put oil in the WD40! because oil is water phobic.
I like science live!
This is awesome!! I love acellus live!
Hi from Missouri!
I watched video and learned that science can be very fun
Hi from Arkansas i love watching science live it is so fun!
I helped my dad with wiring in our enclosed trailer. It’s very interesting how circuits work.
Always love watching these!
Brilliant!
It’s funny how people use WD-40 for things like loosing a lego
Science live is so fascinating and fun. excited to seee more!!
I thought that last week’s episode was amazing. My favorite part was the technology spotlight with Dr. John. Learning about how engineers are using DNA to contain more storage was extremely interesting. Using DNA to store data sounds amazing and risky at the same time since if you mess up on one double helix it could possibly ruin the entire data. However, I believe if scientist and engineers work together this new discovery could definitely help save data for our future generations. I thought today’s episode was amazing and I can’t wait for next week’s episode!
I learned so much about WD-40 on Science Live; I’ll definitely use it the next time I step on gum to remove it.
Watching from North Carolina
I really enjoyed learning the process of a Relay.
I ❤️R-51
I like that there is a graduation ceremony at Acellus. My brother and I both plan on coming out for that once we are ready to graduate.
I think its funny when he says “If you laugh at your wife’s mistakes it shortens your life”. so don’t laugh at your wife’s mistakes.
I posted a senior spotlight application! Keep up the Acellus lives, I love them!
I like the experiment. It is neat how the spoons touch and the light goes on. I also like R51 trying an experiment.
I love the saying Dr. Tobias said, “If you can laugh at your own mistakes, you actually lengthen your life”.
I thought the spoon relay was really interesting
bro it was SOOOOOOOO FUNNY when R-51 ZAPED himself
I liked hearing about how the radio waves work!
thank you i love science live
science live is amazinggg!!!
I love science live 🥰😍
it was very cool to learn about WD40
I liked the WD-40 story, interesting that they wouldn’t get a patent so nobody would figure out the formula.
I always love taking time to watch science live!!!!!!