The Edison Effect
December 17, 2025 • EPISODE 291
What if Thomas Edison’s greatest discovery wasn’t the light bulb? In this episode of Science LIVE, Dr. Roger Billings explores the Edison Effect and how Edison’s experiments paved the way for electron tubes and modern electronics. Discover why this overlooked breakthrough mattered then—and why it still shapes technology today.
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 »
I Love Science
I love thomas edison, he has made a big difference in the world!
It’s ironic that I actually learned Thomas Edison was deaf from my ASL course not to long ago!
My dad did that same joke. My son got an iPad and I paid. lol
Can’t wait to take an ASL course, this live made me very interested
The telescope looks amazing. It would be incredible to see better high resolution images of space.
My first Science Live!
I am glad Thomas was the topic of this episode. The Kinetoscope (one of his inventions) laid the groundworks for what the film industry is today
absolutely love these so much
The new telescope sounds interesting.
I’m so glad Acellus is putting the effort in to teach kids different ways to learn so that we can truly grasp what you all are teaching us!
I have not really heard of any other inventing anything besides the lightbulb, i’m glad that i was made aware that he did invent other things
Amazing what persistence can do to someone!
Edison had some amazing inventions.
Acellus live is the best! Thank you guys
I asked for a telescope for Christmas! This has to be very exciting for NASA!
Everything is just incredible in this live! So many things to learn and teach!
Science live is the best!
LOL I caught the “Ipaid” joke. Ya’ll have a merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas I loved the camel story!
Merry Christmas Acellus!! Until next year!
I wonder how Thomas Edison would feel if he saw all the technology we have now. Happy Holidays everyone.
Wow, space always amazes me and to see pictures is so fascinating!
I love this episode, Happy Holidays!
R51 is so funny!
I like the term apex-inventor!
Did you know that there are different dialects of sign language even in English?
that’s so cool to look at galaxies.
I would love to take the sign language course at some point!
I love R51!!!
I think it’s great that there is another ASL course!
Hopefully I’ll be able to take ASL next school year!
Loved it!!!!!!
Amazing, I love R 51
I love space! I’m excited to learn what else is inside a nebula
I always love watching a new video every week! Thank you Acellus!
I learn so much watching Science Live!
Oh wow I heard Acellus is doing an ASL course? That’s so cool! I’m excited to see what other cool things are coming in the new year!
And Merry Christmas everybody! Have a good holiday 😊😀
I’m taking ASL right now and I love the class!
I wonder how much faster and cleaner the high resolution photos will be from the new telescope compared to Hubble, espesically since Hubble only has 16 megapixels to Romans 300 megapixels.
Excellent episode, Dr. Billings!
Wow that sing language corse look amazing congratulations on making a new corse
I knew that Bill Lear mentored Dr. Billings but I didn’t know that Bill Lear was mentored by Thomas Edison. That is so interesting!
LOVE R51
I love having access to the science lives thank you again for putting these lives on,
Wow happy New Year’s. I can’t believe that it’s almost 2026. The next science live thing is gonna be on the new year that’s crazy and thanks for making the sign language course. It’s pretty cool.
Merry Christmas Acellus family!
Merry Christmas to everyone who does Science Live!!
Night sky photographs are so incredible. I would love to learn more about it.
I am currently taking American Sign Language 1 and am really enjoying it. I hope to take the second course next year! Thanks for offering such great course electives.
What is the smallest spider in the world?
I love science live!!!
Very cool!
R51 is my favorite!
My dad has stacked photos of planets with his telescope before and it is really awsome! Thanks for the segment.
I really like science live! Looking forward to the episodes in 2026. Happy Holidays Acellus Team
WOW! Another course. How many can they make?
i love asl!
Special thanks to Dr. Billings and Lady Pajet for meeting up with me and other Acellus learners every Wednesday to discuss about science, inventions, and much more. MERRY CHRISTMAS and a happy NEW YEAR to all! 😁😁😁
I think having a second course of ASL is magnificent! Merry Christmas to you R-51 and Acellus. You are all my mentor! 🙂
ITS SO COOOL TO KNOW WHAT THE Edison effect is
It is cool how Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb is like two inventions in one. Merry Christmas to you R-51 I am sorry you got zapped! 🙂
It’s interesting that researcher’s at Washington State University were able to use AU to discover a hidden molecular switch that is used by some viruses as their method of invading cells.
Thomas Edison is amazing! I love the telescope!
What’s the science behind the Mandela Effect?
i love acellus !!
Hi from South Dakota
My favorite part of the science live was R 51.
Hi from Mississippi.
I would love to learn sign language. It would open up a new world to me. : )
R51 is always so funny lol 😂
Happy Holidays to everyone at Acellus! 🙂
Thomas Edison was a genius, Happy holidays by the way!!
Merry Chrismas, you are amazing!
R51 is soooo funny!!!!
Happy Holidays Everyone!
Can’t wait for the Conspiracy course!! Merry Christmas!
I love science live! It is my favorite part of Acellus!!
R51 is so funny!
I liked learning about the progress with cell phones! Happy holidays!
I love R51
Merry Christmas to all the hard workers at Acellus!
Love this!!! 10 out of 10
I think r51 is so funny.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Japan
Thomas Edison was a super cool inventor! Happy Holidays!
R51 is always so silly. Happy Holiday!
Awesome video!
Marry Christmas to everyone <3
Science live rocks!
I Love R51!
i love R51 too
Happy Holidays from Texas!!
that sign language corse looks pretty cool!congrats on making another corse
merry chrismas I love your videos
I’ve always wanted to learn ASL because my aunt is deaf.
its great that acellus is doing an even more in depth ASL course. its something a lot more schools should teach
Thanks for another episode Acellus. You guys have helped me to have so much knowledge, and for that you have my gratitude.
Hi from Alaska!
I love science live! Happy holidays!
Thomas Edison was a smart person.
Thomas Edison has a record for 1,093 inventions I’m pretty sure.
You should make a hydrogen robot.
The telescope is awesome. I would love to learn more about it and see more pictures from it.
I am excited for ASL. My mom has shown me some and it will help me talk to my deaf Meemom.
Love science live Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas from us! I love learning here!
Merry Christmas Acellus Family! Wish you a merry holiday, (Depending on what you celebrate!), See you for New Year!
Thomas Eddison’s genius was on a completely different level, not only was he responsible for the lightbulb, he also was the creator of the vacuum; something we all use everyday!
Thankful for Thomas Edison!!!!
Great Science Live. American Sign Language class sounds pretty cool.
Thanks for the science live Happy Holidays!
Edison truly was a genius inventor, his invention paved the way to the future! Great episode!
Merry Christmas, I hope to see the next episode soon! Until next time
Happy Holidays! In what state does Hydrogen become a solid? Happy Holidays!
Science Live And Chemistry Is awesome!!!
Technology will always find great ways to enhance the ways we need it to. It might take decades but in a global race for having the best technology it is interesting to see what the final product looks like or how it will impact us. Just think about how many different versions of cell phones came out and which ones survived into our current year.
Thomas Edison actually demonstrated the perfected lightbulb on New Year’s Eve! Merry Christmas everyone! He also failed to make the lightbulb stay on until the 1,000th attempt.
And he only got 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Alexander Hamilton would’ve loved this guy.
Happy holidays everyone :3
Happy Holidays. Hoping I can learn a bit more of ASL through the help of Acellus! Very excited, also curious if some deaf culture will be taught in class?
Happy Holidays everybody! Thomas Edison was a genius for sure.
Watching from Chicago!
Thank you for inventing Acellus, Dr. Billings!
I look forward to seeing more science videos as the new year starts! Merry Christmas and a happy early new year!
Merry Christmas!!!🎄🎁
Thank you! Happy holidays!!
Super cool Science Live this week! Very interested in the new space telescope. Loved hearing the history of Thomas Edison and the Edison Effect. Can’t wait until the next one. Happy Holidays!
That’s nice that we’ll get a Science Live credit. Looking forward to a new year!
Happy holidays, amazing Science Live like normal.
How do you think Thomas Edison would react if you gave him an I-phone?
Thomas Edison was genius I love learning ASL.
Merry Christmas! And Happy Holidays! <3
LOL, Tobias! The camel that broke the straw’s back.
The James Webb Space telescope seems really impressive, hopefully we get even more insight into the distant universe.
Happy holidays to everyone!
Wow I never knew that Dr billings was mentored by Bill lear that’s awesome
It was awesome to learn more about Thomas Edison! I learned a lot!
Science Live is so entertaining! R-51 is always so funny!
Happy Holidays everybody!
r51 is the greatest!!!
I loved hearing Dr. Johns technology spotlight. It’s really interesting that inferred light can help us learn more about The Milky Way and the galaxies in space just by being able to see through the dust clouds.
Happy holidays! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
I love science live! It was fascinating to learn about the new telescope:) happy holidays
My mom is fluent in ASL, the class sounds cool! Merry Christmas! 🎄
I can’t wait to see the invention we’re going to learn about next! Happy Holidays!
Where do you guys get your science news from? It’s very interesting, and I’m more of a reader than anything, so I’d love to read articles about space!
My mom had a Nokia phone and the Blackberry!
Love watching science live and learning about Thomas Edison. Merry Christmas!
I like how there is ASL in Acellus .
Happy holidays everyone! I love these science lives.
Gonna miss yall!!! and happy holiday to you all!! <3
Happy holidays r-51!
Happy holidays! Great Thomas Edison episode before the holidays.
Thomas Edison is one of the greatest inventors of all time.
Edison’s inventions are so revolutionary, I love watching science live !!!
Getting a new course about ASL will be cool!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
I love science live happy holidays
I love science live! Merry Christmas everyone! 🙂
It’s nice to see that they have a course of speaking through sign language. I do hope plenty of people take this course.
Thank you! Happy Holidays!
I can’t wait to sign up for the ASL class. I can’t wait to learn more about ASL. Happy holidays everybody!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you wonderful Acellus instructors and staff! Enjoyed learning more about Edison in this Science Live.
What inspired Thomas Edison to be such an amazing scientist?
happy holidays! Anyways i always love watching the breakthrough moments in science
I was so excited for this science live! happy holidays!
Thomas Edison is one of my favorite historical figures! Happy Holidays!!
Creating a whole book at the age of 15 is incredible!
How awesome to have learned from someone who directly learned from Thomas Edison!
Really excited about the new ASL course, actually taking it right now! Happy Holidays Everyone!!
I am super duper excited for the new Acellus ASL Course!
haha the comment about the don’t oh chemistry oh chemistry, was Great!!
ASL is great to learn! What an entertaining episode. Happy holidays everyone!
Merry Christmas Acellus! I love these videos! 🙂
Happy Holidays to the Acellus and Science Live community!
Artificial intelligence being able to make such a major breakthrough in the field of science truly shows how far technology has come.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year it is so sad science live is over for two weeks I really enjoy watching them.
We visited Edison NJ this weekend where Mr Edison’s lab was.
Can wait for next years episodes :>
Have a Happy New Year!!
I’m excited to start my new classes after this holiday break!
Happy Holidays! Loved the video!