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 »

Follow

6,193 Comments

  1. Kameron

    I love watching sicence live!

    Reply
  2. Isalee

    Did you know that male seahorses give birth instead of the females?

    Reply
  3. Jaedyn

    I love R51 he’s hilarious

    Reply
  4. Mackenzie

    I love the technology spotlight, everything that is covered in that segment is so interesting.

    Reply
  5. Kelsey

    every episode is a new beginning to learning something new

    Reply
  6. Brooklyn

    R-51 singing jingle bells had me laughing so hard.

    Reply
  7. Delayne

    Why won’t they tell us what’s in WD 40? I don’t think anyone will be making their own of the wd 40.

    Reply
  8. Remy

    cool lesson on trying again

    Reply
  9. Teresa

    hi from Georgia

    Reply
  10. Josiah

    Watching from Charlotte!!

    Reply
  11. Johnathan

    r51 was funny.

    Reply
  12. Ally

    Science live is the best

    Reply
  13. Grayson

    First time here.

    Reply
  14. Nickolas

    This is amazing stuff to learn!!

    Reply
  15. Logan

    This was a great learning experience.

    Reply
  16. Naomi

    grateful for these science lives!

    Reply
  17. De`shari

    Thankful for this opportunity!

    Reply
  18. Aaliyah

    My dad uses WD40 for anything and everything haha!

    Reply
  19. Wilde

    wow that is so cool how they kept trying and it figured out

    Reply
  20. Kaiya

    I always learn so much from science live!

    Reply
  21. Johnny

    Thank you for the video

    Reply
  22. Samuel

    Can you meet Mark Rogers at Acellus World?

    Reply
  23. Raegan

    WD40. the best of the best. lol

    Reply
  24. Fox

    Why do they give chemicals such long names if they are just going to change it anyway

    Reply
  25. Mason

    this is awesome WD40 is too

    Reply
  26. Mckenzie

    merry christmas to science live and all the teachers!

    Reply
  27. Ethan

    How can someone who has an idea but no materials to create it invent their idea?

    Reply
  28. Hudson

    Hi from va

    Reply
  29. Anna

    these are always so interesting to watch

    Reply
  30. Mason

    I thought WD-40 was just a random household product that had no use lol.

    Reply
  31. De`shari

    Excellent video! Can’t wait for next week!

    Reply
  32. Josiah

    I really liked the story about the start of WD40.

    Reply
  33. Lexi

    Can’t wait to be amazed by what we learn next!!!

    Reply
  34. David

    This program is so entertaining.

    Reply
  35. Logan

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

    Reply
  36. Charles

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

    Reply
  37. 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
  38. Levi

    I might build one.

    Reply
  39. 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
  40. Daniel

    Storing data as DNA seems expensive

    Reply
  41. Julian

    Science live is my favorite!

    Reply
  42. Brooklyn

    I love learning from science live!!!!

    Reply
  43. Trent

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

    Reply
  44. Michelle

    This was a great video, no questions.

    Reply
  45. 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
  46. Selena

    I love how science live keeps me very well entertained!

    Reply
  47. Joshua

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

    Reply
  48. Paul

    how hot is the sun

    Reply
  49. William

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

    Reply
  50. Keegan

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

    Reply
  51. Nicole

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

    Reply
  52. Josiah

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

    Reply
  53. Nguyen

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

    Reply
  54. Atticus

    Hopefully R51 is okay!

    Reply
  55. Alexis

    The lesson was super interesting!

    Reply
  56. Madaline

    I love these science videos!!!!!

    Reply
  57. Nicolas

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

    Reply
  58. Jason

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

    Reply
  59. David

    Hope your staying warm Merry Christmas

    Reply
  60. Lathan

    What are some bad signs of a relay switch?

    Reply
  61. Shepherd

    Keep up Science Live, amazing program!

    Reply
  62. 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
  63. Conner

    Acellus is the best and you can learn so much

    Reply
  64. Marissa

    So funny 😂

    Reply
  65. Lily

    #I love science live

    Reply
  66. Juliet

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

    Reply
  67. Erica

    Science video was good

    Reply
  68. Alonnah

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

    Reply
  69. Addarie

    so happy for these amazing videos

    Reply
  70. Conner

    acellus is the best

    Reply
  71. Alexis

    Thank you Dr. Billings!

    Reply
  72. 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
  73. Andoni

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

    Reply
  74. Erica

    Was a good video this week❤

    Reply
  75. Tristan

    the fair looks like a lot of fun!

    Reply
  76. Kinsley

    How big is the spark?

    Reply
  77. Cruz

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

    Reply
  78. 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
  79. Destaney

    Science live is awesome!!!

    Reply
  80. Elijah

    Merry Christmas R51!

    Reply
  81. Maxim

    Thank you! It was a very interesting episode!

    Reply
  82. Caden

    i love this show

    Reply
  83. Jackson

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

    Reply
  84. Ryan

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

    Reply
  85. David

    Hi from Hixson tn hope your staying warm

    Reply
  86. Isabella

    Thank you for these weekly lives. I learn so much

    Reply
  87. Alisa

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

    Reply
  88. Jocelyn

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

    Reply
  89. Israel

    lets gooo Roger B!!!

    Reply
  90. Justen

    Science is very intresting.

    Reply
  91. James

    Really excited~

    Reply
  92. Rowan

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

    Reply
  93. Alexis

    i like the part about electricity

    Reply
  94. Claire

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

    Reply
  95. Danyell

    i enjoy learning new things each week

    Reply
  96. Brooklyn

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

    Reply
  97. Mia

    wd-40 is so facinating.

    Reply
  98. Noah

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

    Reply
  99. 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
  100. 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
  101. Andrew

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

    Reply
  102. Nguyen

    I love watching live science live, thanks you so much

    Reply
  103. Skylar

    Science live is great

    Reply
  104. Emely

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

    Reply
  105. Miguel

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

    Reply
  106. Brayden

    So funny how NASA uses WD40!

    Reply
  107. Thomas

    YOOO that is so cool like what a great invention XD40

    Reply
  108. Hannah

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

    Reply
  109. William

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

    Reply
  110. Clint

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

    Reply
  111. Annaliese

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

    Reply
  112. Elsie

    wow this week was so cool and interesting

    Reply
  113. Mekhai

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

    Reply
  114. Audrey

    WD-40 is cool.

    Reply
  115. Ty

    So much interesting stuff tonight!!

    Reply
  116. Joseph

    I like that NASA uses WD40

    Reply
  117. Cherish

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

    Reply
  118. Khemet

    I love science live so much!

    Reply
  119. Alesandrea

    R51 never disappoints!

    Reply
  120. Klover

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

    Reply
  121. Elyanna

    This was really fun to watch

    Reply
  122. Arabella

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

    Reply
  123. Ethan

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

    Reply
  124. Morgan

    I love watching Science Live every week!!

    Reply
  125. Hunter

    Rockets are so cool. I love science!

    Reply
  126. Alexa

    𝕀 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕔𝕚𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕤!

    Reply
  127. Emma

    Hello from North Carolina!!

    Reply
  128. Alannis

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

    Reply
  129. Isaiah

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

    Reply
  130. Baylee

    I loved this week’s science live.

    Reply
  131. Destiny

    I love learning new things from Science Live

    Reply
  132. Cason

    I really like learning about rockets.

    Reply
  133. Wyatt

    Hello from Tennessee

    Reply
  134. Easton

    What is the relay?

    Reply
  135. Isaiaha

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

    Reply
  136. Nicky

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

    Reply
  137. Angelo

    Science live is so interesting

    Reply
  138. Olivia

    It was interesting to learn about how bells were invented!

    Reply
  139. Chandler

    I want to work for NASA one day!

    Reply
  140. Kerolos

    These episodes are so fun to watch!!

    Reply
  141. Zackary

    Why is making mistakes important in science?

    Reply
  142. Makenzie

    That is amazing I never knew I could learn so much

    Reply
  143. Sadie

    Science live is always awesome!

    Reply
  144. Barrett

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

    Reply
  145. Lucas

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

    Reply
  146. Jaelyn

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

    Reply
  147. 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
  148. Chasity

    love these science videos!!!!

    Reply
  149. Payton

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

    Reply
  150. Avana

    I love learning with science live

    Reply
  151. Lincoln

    I love learning with science live

    Reply
  152. Nathan

    I had no idea that wd40 was invented for rockets

    Reply
  153. Jaiden

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

    Reply
  154. Lance

    r 51 is so funny

    Reply
  155. Jaiden

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

    Reply
  156. Shima

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

    Reply
  157. Sterling

    I love science live so much!

    Reply
  158. 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
  159. Kai

    Hello! Kai from South Dakota, great video!

    Reply
  160. James

    My dad also uses WD40. Very funny

    Reply
  161. Garren

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

    Reply
  162. Neveah

    i didn’t know NASA used WD40

    Reply
  163. Elijah

    This relay is really interesting

    Reply
  164. Olivia

    Science live is the best!

    Reply
  165. 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
  166. Corben

    I love Acellus and watching the videos!

    Reply
  167. Rylin

    so grateful for science live

    Reply
  168. Ryder

    so thankful for science live teaching me new things!

    Reply
  169. 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
  170. Max

    my favorite part was about DNA and data

    Reply
  171. Kalista

    Science Live is so cool!

    Reply
  172. Phoebe

    I love learning with science live!

    Reply
  173. Kiely

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

    Reply
  174. Genevieve

    This was so fun to listen to!!

    Reply
  175. Avalyn

    My mom uses wd40 to fix my bike sometimes

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Caden Cancel reply

By clicking "Submit", you agree to our Terms & Conditions. Required fields are marked *

Recent Episodes