The Relay

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 »

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6,345 Comments

  1. Logan

    Thank you kindly for always giving us a fun and exciting learning experience.

    Reply
  2. Charles

    So how do you keep the data “clean” for that long?

    Reply
  3. Micah

    We know that DNA controls information in living things. It was interesting to learn that DNA storage data like in the Atlas Eon 100 project. I wonder how DNA storage will evolve?

    Reply
  4. Levi

    I might build one.

    Reply
  5. Solomon

    I thought it was crazy that a living cell can hold 3.2 gigabytes of data. I want to learn more about how they use things in the human body to make things outside the body. Like using a living cell to learn how to make data storage last longer!

    Reply
  6. Daniel

    Storing data as DNA seems expensive

    Reply
  7. Julian

    Science live is my favorite!

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  8. Brooklyn

    I love learning from science live!!!!

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  9. Trent

    I love these episodes!you should do more like these.

    Reply
  10. Michelle

    This was a great video, no questions.

    Reply
  11. Dominique

    Thomas Edison once said that the most certain way to succeed is to try one more time. There was a company that was trying to make a liquid for NASA to keep water off of the steel of a rocket. It took them 40 tries and it finally worked. It is now called WD40 and has 2000 certified things you can use it for.

    Reply
  12. Selena

    I love how science live keeps me very well entertained!

    Reply
  13. Joshua

    i had no idea NASA uses WD40 huh the more you know!

    Reply
  14. Paul

    how hot is the sun

    Reply
  15. William

    thank you for explaining how to invent something so well. It’s hard for me to understand but I love it.

    Reply
  16. Keegan

    R51 is a conductor was so
    Funny but wd40 is the answer to everything

    Reply
  17. Nicole

    love learning new things and this is best way to do it!

    Reply
  18. Josiah

    I love R51 and I thought it was cool that it took 40 trys to make WD40

    Reply
  19. Nguyen

    I love the WD 40 story, so much fun learning about DNA

    Reply
  20. Atticus

    Hopefully R51 is okay!

    Reply
  21. Alexis

    The lesson was super interesting!

    Reply
  22. Madaline

    I love these science videos!!!!!

    Reply
  23. Nicolas

    Ive always been curious about DNA thank you for sharing some knowledge about it

    Reply
  24. Jason

    I never knew there was so many uses for WE-40, it was fascinating to hear about why it was made.

    Reply
  25. David

    Hope your staying warm Merry Christmas

    Reply
  26. Lathan

    What are some bad signs of a relay switch?

    Reply
  27. Shepherd

    Keep up Science Live, amazing program!

    Reply
  28. Oscar

    Dr. Joshua said the last graduating Acellus Academy class was so big that they had to have 11 different commencement ceremonies. What is the average amount of ceremonies each year?

    Reply
  29. Conner

    Acellus is the best and you can learn so much

    Reply
  30. Marissa

    So funny 😂

    Reply
  31. Lily

    #I love science live

    Reply
  32. Juliet

    I’m sick with the flu, but I still enjoyed this week’s video.

    Reply
  33. Erica

    Science video was good

    Reply
  34. Alonnah

    Science live is the best i always cannot wait until Wednesdays to watch it and learn, it give me so much information.

    Reply
  35. Addarie

    so happy for these amazing videos

    Reply
  36. Conner

    acellus is the best

    Reply
  37. Alexis

    Thank you Dr. Billings!

    Reply
  38. Rain

    I love learning the history on morse code. It’s very interesting and always has exiting facts. My question is simple. Is it possible to use hydrogen to create electric waves?

    Reply
  39. Andoni

    I knew about Nasa’s use of WD40 from my family, though I didnt know all the details shared here.

    Reply
  40. Erica

    Was a good video this week❤

    Reply
  41. Tristan

    the fair looks like a lot of fun!

    Reply
  42. Kinsley

    How big is the spark?

    Reply
  43. Cruz

    It’s cool to know how WD-40 got is name and that it was actually invented for rockets.

    Reply
  44. Isaiah

    I liked how they are able to see planets that are really far away and also see the helium clouds with the telescope! It won’t be long before we spot aliens!

    Reply
  45. Destaney

    Science live is awesome!!!

    Reply
  46. Elijah

    Merry Christmas R51!

    Reply
  47. Maxim

    Thank you! It was a very interesting episode!

    Reply
  48. Caden

    i love this show

    Reply
  49. Jackson

    I never would’ve guessed WD40 was made for rockets.

    Reply
  50. Ryan

    This is the first time of hearing about WD 40’s, it’s very interesting.

    Reply
  51. David

    Hi from Hixson tn hope your staying warm

    Reply
  52. Isabella

    Thank you for these weekly lives. I learn so much

    Reply
  53. Alisa

    That is true, I never have enough space on my devices.

    Reply
  54. Jocelyn

    My computer broke and I had to buy a new one because my old tablet didn’t support the app.

    Reply
  55. Israel

    lets gooo Roger B!!!

    Reply
  56. Justen

    Science is very intresting.

    Reply
  57. James

    Really excited~

    Reply
  58. Rowan

    Is there a way to message other students my age on Acellus? kind of like a pen pal.

    Reply
  59. Alexis

    i like the part about electricity

    Reply
  60. Claire

    This is the first Science LIVE I’ve watched and it’s pretty informative. Space is a pretty neat thing

    Reply
  61. Danyell

    i enjoy learning new things each week

    Reply
  62. Brooklyn

    I like how the video talks about DNA have to match and if dorting together.

    Reply
  63. Mia

    wd-40 is so facinating.

    Reply
  64. Noah

    The part about WD-40 was very cool, and I didn’t know that was how an electric bell worked.

    Reply
  65. Donivan

    I find it very interesting how WD-40 was originally developed for the aerospace industry, and now it’s a common household item.

    Reply
  66. Raul

    I actually did know that about WD40, my brother is a mechanic and builder. He works with tools and has skills that he passes down to me when he can or when i need help

    Reply
  67. Andrew

    I never new WD-40 came from an experiment to help NASA.

    Reply
  68. Nguyen

    I love watching live science live, thanks you so much

    Reply
  69. Skylar

    Science live is great

    Reply
  70. Emely

    This is another extremely interesting science live video. I can not wait for the next one!

    Reply
  71. Miguel

    this was very interesting especially the WD40 part, thank you.

    Reply
  72. Brayden

    So funny how NASA uses WD40!

    Reply
  73. Thomas

    YOOO that is so cool like what a great invention XD40

    Reply
  74. Hannah

    I want to be able to come to the graduation. This is my first time at Acellus.

    Reply
  75. William

    WD-40!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  76. Clint

    Great science live guys! It was the light of my day LOL!

    Reply
  77. Annaliese

    I always wondered why iron turned colors over time. This was a cool video about the rocket materials.

    Reply
  78. Elsie

    wow this week was so cool and interesting

    Reply
  79. Mekhai

    DNA is so cool. It makes me think of how amazing God is!

    Reply
  80. Audrey

    WD-40 is cool.

    Reply
  81. Ty

    So much interesting stuff tonight!!

    Reply
  82. Joseph

    I like that NASA uses WD40

    Reply
  83. Cherish

    Now I know why it’s called WD-40 and! Such a good invention.

    Reply
  84. Khemet

    I love science live so much!

    Reply
  85. Alesandrea

    R51 never disappoints!

    Reply
  86. Klover

    I think the best part about science live is that we get to learn new things every Wednesday!

    Reply
  87. Elyanna

    This was really fun to watch

    Reply
  88. Arabella

    I love science live I always learn so many new cool things like when a telephone was made

    Reply
  89. Ethan

    Thank you for the opportunity to learn about all of this. My mom is always using WD40 for different things.

    Reply
  90. Morgan

    I love watching Science Live every week!!

    Reply
  91. Hunter

    Rockets are so cool. I love science!

    Reply
  92. Alexa

    𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕔𝕚𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤!

    Reply
  93. Emma

    Hello from North Carolina!!

    Reply
  94. Alannis

    Wow, I wonder if NASA still uses WD-40 on their rockets, how interesting! Thank you!

    Reply
  95. Isaiah

    Acellus World looks fun! Also, WD40 is an interesting product.

    Reply
  96. Baylee

    I loved this week’s science live.

    Reply
  97. Destiny

    I love learning new things from Science Live

    Reply
  98. Cason

    I really like learning about rockets.

    Reply
  99. Wyatt

    Hello from Tennessee

    Reply
  100. Easton

    What is the relay?

    Reply
  101. Isaiaha

    Science is so interesting. So many things you can use in so many ways.

    Reply
  102. Nicky

    how does the little rotating/spinning thing behind Dr. Billings keep moving the whole time he is talking?

    Reply
  103. Angelo

    Science live is so interesting

    Reply
  104. Olivia

    It was interesting to learn about how bells were invented!

    Reply
  105. Chandler

    I want to work for NASA one day!

    Reply
  106. Kerolos

    These episodes are so fun to watch!!

    Reply
  107. Zackary

    Why is making mistakes important in science?

    Reply
  108. Makenzie

    That is amazing I never knew I could learn so much

    Reply
  109. Sadie

    Science live is always awesome!

    Reply
  110. Barrett

    My Dad uses WD40 to work on his jeep!!!

    Reply
  111. Lucas

    I did not know it took 40 tries to create WD40!

    Reply
  112. Jaelyn

    This videos was very interesting. Thank you guys for making these videos!

    Reply
  113. Ciaran

    i like the radio waves and the morce code in the transmiter that it was alot of things that made for the morce code.

    Reply
  114. Chasity

    love these science videos!!!!

    Reply
  115. Payton

    Loved todays science live! Can’t wait for next weeks!

    Reply
  116. Avana

    I love learning with science live

    Reply
  117. Lincoln

    I love learning with science live

    Reply
  118. Nathan

    I had no idea that wd40 was invented for rockets

    Reply
  119. Jaiden

    I love watching science live! It is the best thing to watch

    Reply
  120. Lance

    r 51 is so funny

    Reply
  121. Jaiden

    I love watching science live! It is the best thing to watch!

    Reply
  122. Shima

    I would really love to try some of the experiments l’ve seen

    Reply
  123. Sterling

    I love science live so much!

    Reply
  124. Damien

    This company Acellus is five stars !
    I really like Dr.Joseph and I never knew that they tried 40 times .Thank you for Acellus!

    Reply
  125. Kai

    Hello! Kai from South Dakota, great video!

    Reply
  126. James

    My dad also uses WD40. Very funny

    Reply
  127. Garren

    Great Science Live, NASA, and WD40, learn something new every Wednesday.

    Reply
  128. Neveah

    i didn’t know NASA used WD40

    Reply
  129. Elijah

    This relay is really interesting

    Reply
  130. Olivia

    Science live is the best!

    Reply
  131. Michael

    That was great! Very interesting science. My dad has a can of WD40 in his truck, and he uses it from time to time so I know what it is. I enjoyed seeing the clips from Acellus World with Todd Edmond.

    Reply
  132. Corben

    I love Acellus and watching the videos!

    Reply
  133. Rylin

    so grateful for science live

    Reply
  134. Ryder

    so thankful for science live teaching me new things!

    Reply
  135. Taylor

    It was neat to learn how WD40 got started. In 1953 Rocket Chemical Company created a formula to coat rockets to keep water off the steel. After 40 tries they got it perfect. In 1993 they were selling 1 million cases a week. There are many different ways to use WD40 today.

    Reply
  136. Max

    my favorite part was about DNA and data

    Reply
  137. Kalista

    Science Live is so cool!

    Reply
  138. Phoebe

    I love learning with science live!

    Reply
  139. Kiely

    This helped me understand how simple electrical components are used in everyday machines.

    Reply
  140. Genevieve

    This was so fun to listen to!!

    Reply
  141. Avalyn

    My mom uses wd40 to fix my bike sometimes

    Reply
  142. Jacob

    My dad got WD 40 in the garage! He uses it a lot!

    Reply
  143. Lourdes

    My dad uses WD40 sometimes when he is working on a project to make things loosen.

    Reply
  144. Jonathan

    This is a very informative and interesting episode.

    Reply
  145. Tiberius

    We have only just started this program but already love the flexibility of the access. We have it on my son’s laptop and iPad a love that he can easily complete classes while on long rides.

    Reply
  146. Bryce

    Acellus is the best!

    Reply
  147. Deklyn

    I love learning about how WD-40 was invented and how many uses it has. I also thought it was so cool that no one else knows how to make this product except the company.

    Reply
  148. Alexa

    I did not know that NASA uses WD40! So interesting!

    Reply
  149. Sarah

    I love this science live!!!

    Reply
  150. Josie

    I thought the WD40 part was funny because my parents use it for many things. 2000 uses is a lot.

    Reply
  151. Louis

    My mom said we had a tripped braker in the braker box. Is that a relay?

    Reply
  152. Elizabeth

    Im so excited for Christmas. are you guys

    Reply
  153. Josiah

    This was a good video today. I liked the part at the end about the spoons and relay.

    Reply
  154. Aria

    THIS WAS A COOL VIDEO THIS WEEK

    Reply
  155. Emma

    I learned something new today!

    Reply
  156. Mia

    This show has taught me so many new things!

    Reply
  157. Gibson

    I liked the thing that Dr john said about the right molecules and the DNA

    It was so cool!

    Reply
  158. Abdirahiim

    Thank you so much for this amazing video

    Reply
  159. Ryder

    My goal in 2026 is to go to Acellus World and Graduation weekend with my family so I can meet my teachers and classmates.

    Reply
  160. Osiris

    How does fire produce radio waves?

    Reply
  161. Jamie

    I did not know that about WD40!

    Reply
  162. Cameron

    It’s pretty neat that NASA uses WD40

    Reply
  163. Haddi

    North Carolina here!

    Reply
  164. Daniel

    That’s super cool that they are doing a graduation in Kansas.

    Reply
  165. Benjamin

    Science live is fun to watch.

    Reply
  166. Bela

    It’s cool to learn something new from Science Live.

    Reply
  167. Addilynn

    Hello from Nevada.

    Reply
  168. Corben

    yayayayay science live so great to learn this stuff

    Reply
  169. Jean

    I’ve heard of storing DNA, I just never knew exactly how it was done.

    Reply
  170. Branson

    Wd40!

    Reply
  171. Baylee

    Done for the day. TIME FOR SOME SCIENCE LIVE!!!!

    – Love Baylee Merry Christmas

    Reply
  172. Doraine

    I think storing data in DNA would be interesting. Under the right conditions, it could probably last for thousands of years without being worn down.

    Reply
  173. Cooper

    DNA helix have always facinated me so much, its crazy to think of something functioning that small.

    Reply
  174. Christopher

    What exactly is WD-40 composed of?

    Reply
  175. Tenley

    we use wd40 on squeaky doors.

    Reply

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