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 »
Merry Christmas from texas !!
Hello everyone, I am from California! Very cool info every single week. Thank you all! 😀
I love science live!
Wow, I didn’t know that phones were so hard to make!
How long ago was the vacuum invented?
Thank You Tobias, that was very interesting about the iphone, I think my mom had a phone with a slide out keyboard.
Dr.B how many times did you almost give up on the hydrogen car
i love science
Hi from AL.
love it
i found that Steve Jobs i phone design very facinating you learn something new everday.
I love Tobias’s facts!
That’s very interesting about NASA.
yeah science is pretty neat
How the i-phone was made is so amazing.
I am pretty sure no one knew to create keyboards was so difficult. Love apple
Would the radio waves work in space?
My name is Marley Parrish and I am from Illinois. Thank you for letting us know that the next show will be at the start of the year. I really enjoyed learning about the breakthroughs that it took for the people of Apple to develop the keyboard. I have never heard of this before, and I was fascinating with how the keys sensitivity changes with anticipating the next word. Thank you again and Merry Christmas.
Esdee L watching from Nevada!
It’s devastating to know there won’t be Science Live until the first week of 2026. Well, merry early Christmas and happy early New Year, folks 🥹
I’ll never look at an iPhone the same!!!
I love that jacket
What was one of the most important invention NASA has made.
It was very fun to learn about the iphone! Happy Holidays everyone!
OMG DR ROGER BILLINGS IM YOUR BIGGEST FAN I LOVE HYDROGEN
Thanks Dr. Tobias for the story on the first touchscreen cellphone! I have been waiting for this episode and loved it!! Are there any updates with the Acting Course coming to Acellus?
hello dr Roger billings
Happy Holiday & Happy New YEAR!! 2026
Mom says thank you for the break from Science Live. We love it but we all need a break sometime. May yiu all have a great holiday.
The way the iphone started and how it is now is crazy.🤯🩷
Happy Holidays!
Science is so exciting!
I am excited for the break but I will miss Science live!
Will school be off in Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New years
What was the first cell phone you owned?
Hello from Tennessee!!
I like how you use PDA as personal digital assistance. Normally PDA means public display of affection. My mom said they use to have phones called Blackberry or something like that
So happy that I am watching this live. Happy Hannukah ya’ll. Also Pajet Monet, you have inspired me so much.
Great science live so far! Its so fun learning about technology!
Howdy from Tennessee! 🙂
Does Dr. Billings have an autobiography?
Sometimes what appears as a failure is sometimes a success. Its a good thing they went back to use the old one.
Hope everyone has a great holiday!
Will there be a R-51 special next week or no?
science is the best
Hi!!!! From Texas! Love the live!!!
I can’t believe it’s almost a new year
Merry Christmas to all and have a Happy New Year
I LOVE SCIENCE ! 🙂
I love science
I love this science live today and are excited to next week’s.
Hi I’m samantha I’m from ct, Connecticut.
Looks like Tobias is ready for Christmas with his green hirt and red and white tie!! 😀
’Hello from New Jersey I never knew keyboards were so complicated?!
ASL is very interesting to me, i think i will take that class.
Hello from TN..
Thank you Tobias, I appreciate your segment!
The first iPhone is so tiny.
this is so cool
Hello from California!
cool about the touch zone changing size.
How crazy was it that one change fixed the whole problem!
That is so interesting!
Touch screen technology is so fascinating on how it all operates together!
My mom told me about texting when she had to touch a number key 3 times to get 1 letter lol
It is cool that the key sizes Change when you press them
wow technology is improving fast
That’s cool how they made the first iPhone
How Is ur day going
LOVE ACELLUS
hi I.m watching
Hello from TEXAS!!!
the phone touch keyboard info was interesting
Hi from Florida!
I never knew that!
For phones now a days where does your data go?
What do you believe the future of phones will be?
hi guys
I found my mom’s old phone and it was tiny. She said it was her first cell phone. Nothing like what she uses now.
Hello!
Wow I never knew the keyboard keys adjusted themselves on the iPhone, that’s very smart.
Here!
i love old phones❤️❤️❤️❤️ but i really love flip phones☎️⌚️🖥️💻📞🖥️🇺🇸
Wow that’s so cool.
iphones are cool.
Love it so far it is always fun to watch and enjoy.
Is this ai model still used in iphones today?
How does the touch screen on the iphone work?
I can’t wait to see all the footage from the new NASA telescope!
Hi from Texas!
that’s cool
here from california
im watching from west palm beach
I love phones!
Good evening from NC!
hi from hawaii!!!
Great as always.
Sophia in NC 📱
hrleen from Vegas
🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🤩
Hi from Colorado! May you all have Happy Holidays!
Hello from txxx
The entire keyboard evolution is seriously so interesting woah
Hi from Georgia.
Wow! I didn’t realize that the keyboards we use on our phones were that deep! That’s a neat thing to learn!
So cool! I live in Japan I loveeee live <3
Hello from texas
Hi from TN
Happy Wednesday, literally had no clue a story about a keyboard could be so interesting. I love it
Coolll
i found the part where they were wanting to create touch screen phones finger friendly quite interesting
hey
Those phones older than my cat happy XD
Is that where autocorrect came from?
I LOVE SIENCE LIVE!!
The making of the touch screen is really cool.
hi i’m noel from MO
hey
I love technology!!!!!!!!!!
I like it and love it!
hello from georgia
its really cool that NASA is making a new telescope
I love
this not going to lie
Hearing about NASA and the telescope was so cool!
i love this
Good evening! Hello from Brazil! Taking this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas!
cool
Hello from WV! Love Acellus, Science Live, Dr. Roger Billings and Pajet, and R-51.
Hello from Lincoln, Illinois!
I always love science live, you always learn something new.
Hello from Indiana
cant wait to see whats on the next one!
hi from txxx
here
Hi from Mississippi!!
hi, I am from Texas.
hi from Alabama
Hello, from Texas!
Hi from Texas! Excited for Science Live!
Did original keyboards use mechanical switches?
Old phones are interesting and how phones are now in comparsion is mind blowing
Hi coming virgnia, I find the evloution of phones really interesting because of how the shapes and technology started to adapt!
love from Texas!
science is the bst
hi javier from lansing kansas
I like it and love it
Hi from texasssss <3
I found one of my moms old phones and it was so cool!
Did the material on the touchscreen matter whether a stylus or a finger was being used? From VA.
The development of the touch screen phone is fascinating.
What iPhone has the best graphical flow and who in the team had the idea that made it?
why did they decide to put the letters on the keyboard in the spots they are?
Josiah is here
Hello 👋:)
Amazing live
I love home shcool
i love this already
Ayo from Idaho!
Hi folks from Greensboro
hashhahaha why is he so funnny 😂
How did they make digital letters and numbers?
I wonder how many universes they will discovery
Hi from Florida
What’s R51 doing??!!!🤓👩🔬👨🏼🔬🕴🕴🕴🍋🍋
I use a stylist on tablets sometimes but it’s cool to know stylist were invented before using your fingers, I thought stylists were invented after they figured out that they were able to use their fingers
this school is good!
Very exciting topic Tobias!
Is the flip phone part of the group of phones before the I phone?
hi
hello from maryland
hello
My favorite subject is science
HI 😀
that makes sense
I love science!
Wow ! Using a special telescope to find another planet with life on it is awesome!
Hello from SC! Old phones are so interesting, they way people had to think of this is crazy and awesome to me. Humans have come very far when you look at old and new phones.
Merry Christmas for everyone learn and teach in Acellus!