Vacuum Tube Amplifier
January 14, 2026 • EPISODE 293
📌 Science Fair Idea – R-51 Radio
What’s a vacuum tube amplifier? Come explore with Dr. Roger Billings on Science LIVE! Learn about the technology that made it possible to boost electrical signals and amplify sound. Discover how vacuum tubes control electron flow, why they powered early radios, audio systems, and computers, and how they shaped modern electronics. And get ready for something super exciting: carbon nanotubes – super-strong, lightweight materials that might one day help build a space elevator, opening new ways to reach space!
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 »
This is interesting stuff
Holaaaa from wisconsin!!!
Wow 5 pajet clones :O
hahahha
ow my
Thank you for including the family into the lives!
Hi from Florida
Love watching these lives!
This is funny
i like the funny skits and how much i learn.
I love Science Live!
Good video 👍
Hello!! From Maine!
wonderfull live
Hello
Hey from CT!
Kaleb is my favorite
love watching science live and learning new things
DrB is seriously too cool
Hii from Alaska!!
I love R 51
This video was interesting!
The “Well, if Sherlock Holmes had kids where did they go to school?” question was so real man.
That is a funny project
hi from kalispell
love R-51
I love the idea of hydrogen cars. I would love to have a bunch of hydrogen toy cars that can drive by themselves.
I’ve always found that honesty was the best thing to have. Speaking of which, tell Mr. Tobias that his speech was something to remember.
hello from new mexico
awesome
Loved this episode
Hi from texas
Haha I love this part!
The proteges are my new faves.
R51 is the best!
Happy wednesday R51!
What is the due date of the Acellus science fair?
Yeah R-51, I think we know what the two cups and the string is lol. Still pretty creative how people manage to attach the strings.
hello everyone
Hello from Texas
Were you nervous at your first science fair?
Wow learning so much cool stuff.
Thank you
Love those things
Great science live !
This was very interesting!
cool
cup phones are awesome!
Learning about neutrons is very intresting.
Yes it does r51
Very cool!
those guys with the guitar were super awesome
R-51 is so funny, I love him.
I enjoyed the part on how flash drives work and the device can hold a lot of data.
Hi, from Texas
its so interesting how all those things were made in the past.
Hi from texas
so good love it!!
R51 you’re so funny.
Hello
Thank you, Acellus! I love this show very much!
Hi🩷
Very interesting!
hi
love watching r 51 on wensday nights!
Are vacuum tubes still used today?
Hi from Canada!
This was so interesting!
its crazy how those tubes reach up to a mile long.
I like the live😇
I really enjoy the way they explain things. They break things down really well!
When is the science fair this year
How do the amplifier mace sound. my name is david
hi how are you
Hello
Amazing Livestream
Hi from Mississippi!
Thanks for the video.
Hi from Indiana. I love Todd Endmond’s class, personally he’s one of my favorite teacher’s.
hi from atlanta
Mini 51
hi from new jersey
This was a great live!
Thank you for today’s science live
Love tonight‘s live!!!
hello from sc
Hi, how are you guys doing today!😊
yay, R-51
so cool
The story about the flash drive is interesting!
R51 is awesome 😉
area 51 sounds cool
r51 is so funny
Love watching Science Live and love learning the extra things it teaches on each video. R51 is my favorite!
Love the stream best stream so far
hey from cali
This was interesting and cool.
hello from texas
I am enjoying this week’s Science Live.
I’m really interested in the science fair, but I’m not the best in traditional science but I’m really interested in architecture would that count as science too? Thanks. 🙂
Hey from MS.
I find electricity fascinating because it makes up a bunch of our world. I really like learning about the vacuum tube because it has been used in many different inventions. I like to learn about how many inventions use other inventions within them.
loved this 😀
Great video! Hello from Texas
Hope he finds that science fair pen pal!
this gives a lot of information
That is interesting how a vacuum tube is made.
i liked learning about computers.
Saying hi from Las Vegas, Nevada !!!
Amazing live tonight!
HI guys!
Today I hit my first full year of Acellus and I absolutely have LOVED doing it!! It makes school easy, fun, and engaging!! Thank you Acellus For making School Easy!!!!!!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Last week and this week were both cool because it was about music.
this is awesome!
wow
Hello from Montana
Very informative! Amplifiers are so interesting.
Hello
Great video!
Hello I’m Alba from south east Ohio.
I like the new segment!
hiii
I think that you are amazing with technology and hydrogen.😊
“I like when the two guys explain things. It helps me understand more.”
(Typed by mom)
When you use the amps for the guitars they are used to be able to hear the sound coming from the chords. There are so many usb that you can use for so many things.
💯awesome
Hi form tennesee
Happy to be here.
hi form nj
hello from VA.
hello from Kentucky
Hello from North Carolina! So as we’re showing the circuit in a stop light what happens when a stop light stops working? Does the circuit break?
Hi! this is Eslie (Ess-lee) from Massachusetts, and I look forward to participating in the next Acellus Science Fair.
I just have a question: what if you want make something or invent, but you don’t have the supplies? I have had some ideas, but don’t know where to start.
Also, totally off topic, can you please tell Dr.B that I really like his hairstyle?
The science fair sounds so cool!
Watching from Alabama.
Truly inspired
HI
I enjoyed learning about the environment.
How far can it travel?
very interesting
How powerful is the current that powers the light?
I think it’s really cool that the carbon nano tubes are getting better and better. I really like that they can charge your phones and cars.
The editing is amazing!!!
Hello from Tennessee
Mr. Billings how loud do you think the amplifiers in the 1800 were in decibels?
cool
Likes doing science live
Hi from Arkansas.
How do amplifiers make a signal stronger without changing the original sound?
Hi
Hi from WV. I love Science Live!
HI from IL
Thanks for your example of determination to solve problems, Mr. Billings!
Thanks
Watching from Alabama
Hello, from Vegas!
hi from baltimore!
woah!!
Hi from Tx!
how does the size of the amplifier change the effectiveness of the noise projection?
I love Dave and Caleb
Hello from SD!
This might be a stupid question but… did you find her or are you still looking for her??
hiii
Hiiiii! From T N
Did radios used to work differently than they do now?
hi
hello everyone
What has been the biggest change to radios over the years?
hello from Connecticut!!
hiii
thats cool!
I love the singing btw!!!
Hi from North Carolina
Do the way radios work now work differently than they used to?
hi from missouri! i love science live