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 wonder what R51 is gonna do
These lives teach me so much things! Truly awsome!
Pay attention to Roger Billings
Science Live is interesting.
love these lives cant wait for the next one
Pay attention Ms. Pajet 🤣
phones used to look like calculaters but that is so cool!
loving this, greetings from peru
Hello, from South Carolina!!!
I love R51
Great Episode
Greetings from Naples!!
i’m sending a letter to R51 soon so be on the lookout
Merry Christmas !! I love science live!!!
love it so so so so so so so so much !!!!!!!
How many years did it take Eddison to create the vacuum?
It’s amazing how one piece makes so much of a difference!! That’s awesome
do you have a billings effect?
I love hearing about how things were invented
Hii. Have a good day/night!
cool video
Merry christmas
Hello👋 from Austin MN.
Hello from NY! Science live is the best-electricity is so interesting to learn about.
It’s cool how the vacuum works!
hi I’m ellery
What year was the first lightbulb made?
Hi from Tennessee.
Hello From Nevada
Comment I love all that Roger Billing teaches us in Acellus live.
Comment watching from Ohio
Also, Lady Pajet, please tell Dr. Billing that I really like his hairstyle 🤭 and his radio voice
Hello everyone
Greetings from Nevada!
Watching from CT!
Hello from Chicago!
Amazing information, we are so lucky! Thank you
I love science live!!!!
Hello, from Maine.
Hello from Georgia
Hi from Illinois
Hi from Illinois. i love watching science live its so interesting
What was the name of his vacuum?
how did Edison make the vacuum
I enjoy Science Live every day and week 💚 💚💚
Hi! Allias from windy Montana! I think this is going to be a very fun science live!
Hi from texas!
Hi from illinois! Merry Christmas!
Why did he name it the Edison Effect?
hey from texas.
COOL!!!!!!😎
I am obsessed with Science Live!
I’m always watching science live it helps me so much I am going to defiantly pass next year thank you so much!!!
Great show tonight!!!!
i love how ms pajet is in the live.
Everybody who learns on Accelus is technically the Great-Grand Mentee of Thomas Edison, the Grand Mentee of Bill Leer, and the Mentee of Dr. Billings. Pretty cool to think about
I look forward to these! Love from Mississippi!
Hi I have been here for two years, nearly 3! I love Science L!ve! Please Pajet Monet, could you ask R for me,
Did, or have, you ever thought that you would be lucky enough to have had been mentored by Bill Lear, all the way from Thomas Edison?!
Coralynn from Tennessee!
Do diodes work the same way?
Hello from hawaii, I really like how eveverthing in this video was explained very helpful.
Cool live, i like it!
I think it is so fascinating that Dr. Roger Billings, his mentor was mentored by the Thomas Edison!!
Hello from Arkansas
hello!!! how do you know so much stuff??? it is amazing how much stuff you know
\ At what age did Thomas Edison become Bill Lear’s mentor?
Merry Chrimas, I love
science Live. I learn new things every week I watch.
Hes so funny 😂
Hello from Georgia! Cell phones today are cooler than the ones from the past. Thanks technology!
What is the Thomas Edison effect?
So funny, we love it!
hi I am from ohio.
Hi Roger bilings
comment*hi this is ivy from cheny wa
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!! Love science live!!!
I love science live !!!
Happy Holidays!!!
hi
This video was so interesting!!
I want to be an apex inventor when i grow up.
merry Christmas y’all from the south part of north carolina
This is my first live.
HI from Kentucky, I love science live so much!!!
hi i am from marland merry christmas
Dr. Pajet, may you please wave to us, let us know you see us? Thank you! Also, I really like Dr. B’s watch!!! Is that a rolex?
u are the best teacher
Best day of the week!
Is the Edison effect known as the vacuum effect?
Hi! From IN
1st time watching!!
Pay attention to Dr.R!
How does the Edison effect translate to today’s world?
I love science live my favorite class is ASL!!
I love science live its awesome to be here.
That’s very interesting how different phones used to look. They have came a long way!
never knew about who made the vacuum!!! So awesome
How does the Edison effect work?
wow sow cool!!!!!!!
Pay attention!
Cool!
interesting video
this is so amazing
why was the vacuum invented
I am excited for the ALS class 😃
great so far
Hi! From Macyn
Hi from Jayson.
wow i didn’t know that Thomas Edison created the vacuum That’s amazing
i hope to invent something one day
I did not know that he invented the vacuum
How does touch screen work?
HI! FROM TEXAS!
Hello Pajet Monet! How are you?
pay attention please lol I’m super enjoying this video thank you big r and little r!!! ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
Listen to R!
Hello from Sidney
Hi from Arkansas and Ryker
Lovee it
You’re doing a great job
Hiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Watching from AL, Happy holidays!
Thank you for the presentation.
What is the Edison effect???
Hello!
Omg this my first Science live, actually watching it live ever
Is the Edison effect still used in everyday products?
Dr billings is so knowledgeable
This is my first live Science L!VE! I am so happy to be here!
Welcome to the team, Inventioneer!!
Watching from Colorado!
This is my first science live
hi
Awesome!!!
from oklahoma
hiii
Hey this is savannah from TX i am going to miss you guys during break!
Hi from Zander in Illinois
i love science live
hi!!
WOW SO COOL
Hi from tn
Who was thomas edison mentor?
hi from Tennessee
The process to make the touchscreen keyboard was much more complicated than I ever thought it was.
Pay attention
This is my first science live
thomas edison was such an intelligent man
Hello from NJ!!!
wow
Love from Maryland
Hello!
Hi from Jayden
Hi from Washington state!
I LOVE U DR . ROGER BILLINGS.
Hi from the Pacific Northwest.
Love ittt
Watching from Kentucky
I never knew who invented the vacuum, it’s very cool how they did that!
What is the Edison Effect?
hi
Thankful for inventors and lightbulbs!
Hi from NC! Merry Christmas!
What is the Edison Affect
I never knew that is who invented the vacuum, it is very cool
What is the “Edison Effect”?
I have a transformer in my back-yard!
I am happy to be here again. I learn something new every time I watch science live.
what does Dr Billings think is the best invention ever? The most helpful to us as a society?
Hello, these vidoes always inspire me even more to one day get into the stem field
I love science live!
It’s crazy how much you can learn from Acellus
I wonder how many iphones it took to find one working.
Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas
i love these videos
Hello from Mississippi and happy early Christmas!
Apex Inventor!
hi from LA
hi
We love science live
Hi from TN. I love this video
Thank you for this lesson! I’m learning so much.
Love science live
R51 invented the firefly, that’s pretty close to a light bulb lol