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 »



Honesty is key in life!
I liked learning about the Carbon Nanotube
I liked learning about the carbon nano tubes
Thought of going out in space is not appealing to me at all, however learning how a person could go into space without using a rocket by vacuum tube amplifier is very interesting to me
I love tuning in every Wednesday. I love learning new information.
R51 is so funny.Thank you acellus!
This is so interesting. Loved this week’s episode
Science live!!
Great Episode!!
this one was a fun one to watch
Interesting!
love this science live video!
I love these lives !!
I like learning about science so many interesting topics and things to learn about. Coming up with new ideas really takes a lot of thinking and research but nothing is impossible.
This one might be my favorite!!!!!
Science live is cool
This was a great live!
Thank you!
What are quantum computers?
Honesty is the key. If your always honest life feels better.
R51 you invention is cool and facinating
Super cool .😎
I find everything you guys talk about very interesting
This was cool learning about this stuff
wow that’s cool!
Honesty for sure
This was a fun video
I don’t know if the cup phone would really work.
Technology has come such a long way over the years.
Thank you another amazing episode
very interesting
when is the science fair
I Agree that honesty is something that everyone should share! what an inspiring episode!
Love this live!
this episode was amazing
How long would it take for the carbon nanotubes to be manufactured well and quickly enough to be used in the transistors, and how much of a preformance boost does it actually give. Would it be economically viable for the everyday person?
I really enjoyed this Live!❤️🫶🏻💕
I really like the new segment that explained the vacuum tube amplifier.
WOW COOL I LOVE THIS TYPE OF VIDS
This is definitely my favorite science live!
Honesty is key in everything
its always nice for a reminder that you should always try your hardest to keep on going
I loved this episode!
I love science live!
The Vacuum Tube Amplifier was a great Live! So cool to know technology played a part in amplifying sound!
Cool stuff!
Nice!
I love these videos please keep putting them out!!
Everyone should be honest especially to their parents. Keep thriving keep going even if it’s hard! Thank you so much Mr Roger Billing’s and lady pajet Monet!
.I love science live
Tobias is my favorite!! love all the cool things he teaches!
Never giving up is important if something fails keep trying.
Great Video
Each live is so cool
thank you for the live!
Honesty is always a great quality to have
The comments are not working for me today. This was a good video this week.
I always enjoy Science Live!!!
Honesty is very important.
Love this so much!!
This is so fun
Thank you for this class
Wow the more you know !
Sound and electricity seem to be linked
Thank you.
I love the Science Fair
I liked how you fixed the pollution in the hydrogen car problem
USB flash storage is very important. Very educational live.
Thank you for the episode!
Hi from MT
great episode, thanks!
Learning about amplifiers is cool!
so cool!!
It was neat how at first storing information would delete itself if it didn’t have power.
Yes! Honesty is the best policy!
this is my first video to watch, it was so amazing!
it was very intresting to learn how the usb flashdrive came around
Amazing and informational live!
This was a really fun science life, I really enjoy Caleb and David’s part I can’t wait for more of these science lives!
I ENJOYED THIS
area 51 makes me feel so happy!!!
loved learning about the vacuum tube amplifier, honesty is always best. I Love watching R 51. Thanks Dr Billings for doing the science lives i learn so much from them.
This was interesting.
This is was such an interesting video!
Awesome live!
How cool!
I love learning something new each epsiode
love it!!
This was very interesting
Can we learn how to make a hydrogen car?
Wow! Technology is advancing at an amazing pace, its incredible!
The vacuum tube amplifier is so amazing
Awesome live loved r 51 .
I have never thought about where a flash drive came from, but that is genius! It was great too hear/see where flash drives have come from. Tobias never disappoints. 🙂
Honesty is the best.
Thanks for putting this on I love it.
I loved this video!
Loved the live
“Keep going even when it gets hard”
cool video
Hi From Brasil!!!!
Honesty is always best!
Crazy to think the first USB in 1999 was only 8MB!
Honesty is key
thank you!!!
I really like big r because he has made the first hydrogen car in the world.
honesty is so important!!!
Always love to hear more interesting things, it blows my mind every week.
It was really enjoyable
So interesting!
I loved this episode.
thank you so much i always get so much information whenever I watch this
I always learn something interesting from Tobias. Love learning how things come about.
Honesty is the correct polacy
Love this video!
Radio waves allow us to communicate over long distances.
Hey you guys!
The nano-tubes and amplifiers were so interesting, it’s sometimes hard to think that there are such important things around us that we can’t see. I have seen a lot of science channels, but this one takes the cake. This was also my first one.
Wow! I never knew about an amplifier until now, cool!
I love science
I loved the story about what happened your senior year and how you connected it with learning social skills.
This was really interesting! I learned a lot.
Honesty is probably one of the most important things. Great live
I just love this so much
Honesty is always the best policy with everything.
Everyone should always be honest
Hey! I’m Lila from Louisiana!
🩷Learned something new today.
Hello from Maryland
Great Video!
I think r-51 is crazy haha
Hello! So excited to see what the live has to offer today! 🙂
Honestly is the best policy!
Great information shared! Really could help in life!
Great Video!
Being honest is very important.
Honesty is probably one of the most important things. Great live.
fascinating about the nano tube battery.
I love Science Live
science live is awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow!
The non-pollution car sounds amazing! I would love to hear more about your journey of mastering hydrogen.
This episode was really interesting, it was so cool learning about the vacuum tube amplifier. It’s amazing!
I have always liked learning about electricity. I knew what an amplifier was, but I had never heard of a vacuum tube amplifier. That’s an amazing invention!
I loved this video and it was good hearing about honesty .
thank you for the video! 😀
hello from tennessee
The story about how the flash drive was created is fascinating!
Very unusual how Japan figured out sunblock!
Love hearing about the history of technology
Thank you for doing that for us!!!!
I like how Dr. Billings said honesty is the best way to get to your end goal. That’s the best way to live your life!
Would you still be able to hear someone through the cup and string if the string was a mile long?
Honesty is great
I like this about the USB drive.
I love Acellus!
The Live was very Informational and educational. Enjoyed this very much.
AMAZING!🥰❤️
Watching from kentucky
I love that you are able to learn about so many things in one video. I completly agree with the honesty portion. I also thought learning about the carbon Nano Tubes and how there are so many uses to them from electronics to vehichles and even body armor.
Hi from Virginia!
Honesty to yourself is important not only to stay humble but to also keep pushing you forward too. Dr Billings is amazing.
Always learn something new with these lives
I cant wait to make a R51 Radio
My favorite part was learning about the floppy disk because my mom used these when she was younger.
I thought the Radio Waves were fascinating awesome science live!
I have come to a realization that many people around the world are taking this online course and I’m looking forward to being more engaged and more included with the sense of belonging due to the support within this program .
i love science
This was awesome!
This was so interesting!
honesty is very important in life
ready for the new science live today!
Thank you so much for the video!
Honesty is the best key to life!
Science live is the best
Than you so much for the video!