Transistors
January 21, 2026 • EPISODE 294
What is a transistor and why is it important? In this episode of Science LIVE, Dr. Roger Billings explores how transistors control electric current, replaced bulky vacuum tubes, and made modern electronics possible—from radios to computers and smartphones. The episode also features a tiny bug-like robot developed by MIT and the fascinating story of Henry Ford and how Thomas Edison influenced the development of the automobile.
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 »
Good video, thank you very much!!!!
What a great episode! So excited for the next!
I want to make a robot
Transistors are a really cool thing people have invented, thank you for teaching about them!
I loved the tiny drone robot!
Robots are so cool.
I think it’s cool that Henry Ford worked for the Edison company. I didn’t know that.
I love how well each topic is explained!
Henry Ford was pretty interesting. Good Video!
i love science live
I like robots
It is crazy how tech has changed throughout the years.
This was cool
I love watching this show every week in this episode I loved The Henry ford part.
It was fun learning about transistors.
I think is is cool that Mr. Billings made a hydrogen car out of a model A
I love seeing the different robots and the thinking process that goes into making them with Dr. John
Henry Ford has always been so fun to always learn more about!
I would like Pajet to do another social emotion class. I love her class!
R51 is so fun
Wednesday is an amazing day.
Super cool guys!
I love science live!
sharks are pretty cool. Video was loaded with cool stuff.
i think sience live is SUPER cool 😊😊😊
I never knew about science live until I started Acellus, which is surprising because I was always wanting to learn about new projects in the science world in elementary. So glad I know about it now, thank you Acellus!
So cool!!!!! 🙂
I loved this science live!
so amazing!
New here! – Thank you
I love the story of Henry Ford! It was so cool!!
I’ve always found mass production really interesting, thank you Tobias for the informative part.
Amazing video
I liked learning about robot bugs, the fact it can fly for over 10 minutes and at its speed for its size is really impressive!
Love! Love! Love! Thank you for an amazing video!
can we design Ai smart robot
Wow the robot was really cool 😀
I love these lives and learning about new things! 🙂
AMAZINGG!!
I think the radio show funny.
this is my favorite video yet! cant wait for the next!!
This was a funny one.
Good episode ! I went to the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, MI when I was younger and got to see the model T up close
Such a good video!
the tiny robots are cool!!!!!!1
just got my number 1 r51 fan wrist band
I think it’s really awesome finding out how things were invented like the transistor radio
That waS COOL
Henry Ford wanted to create a headless carriage… a CAR! He created a quartile, but it failed. He got to meet Thomas Edison! He got to describe his invention to THE Thomas Edison! What a cool story! And to think, he finally rolled out the model T, the 20th letter. So many failed attempts, but he never gave up. And then Dr. Billings used his father’s old model A to create the first hydrogen car! This story just keeps getting better and better! What next?!
Love this video!
I loved the Henry Ford story.
I really enjoyed todays video I really liked the radio show it was funny
This was amazing
I love Science live.
interesting!!
Herny Ford was so cool
That’s very interesting about the polar bears skin color.
Great episode!
Thank you for Science live.
i really like the henry ford part!
Wow crazy how this all stems from electricity.
MIT robots can fly so reliably. How cool that their software was actually too slow for what the robot was capable of. Using AI to improve the software is such a fantastic use of AI.
I love the tidbit of information that the robot could be used for search and rescue because it can fit in locations that drones wouldn’t be able to.
Wow Electronics are so interesting!
Thomas Edison is a good guy because he encourages people😊
Loved everything about this. From robotic bugs, pocket watches and cars!
Loved this!
I love the raddio show!
I always appreciate the president’s jokes 🙂
Its really cool and impressive that they created a drone that is like an insect!
Best episode ever!!!
It was very fun learning about how Dr. Billings got started. He should tell more stories about how he began in science. Transistors are very interesting to me. I had studied them some but I think this video has inspired me to do more research.
I loved the radio show!
This was such a great episode!
My favorite part is about the robot
HI and love from texas
The robot was cool!
Those robots are cool, thanks for another great Science Live!
BEST SHOW EVER!!!!!!!
Can a transistor make a signal stronger?
Ive been to the ford museum
how did the first computer speak with out a robotic voice
I really liked learning about the robot!
We loved the video
Sharks are cool!!!!!
Hi from tennessee
I love this radio show, keep up the good work
the radio show might be my favorite segment!
I really enjoyed this science live
Loved this!
Hello, everyone!
I like the radio show and how you used that to help me understand it better
This was funny especially the biology joke
It’s crazy how his one car lead to so much.
Migraines suck; hopefully we find a little more information on them, so we can really understand them.
I learned MIT is creating these bug robots that are probably as fast as bugs in real life.
cant wait for next week
PLEASE GIVE TOBIAS HIS OWN CLASS!! PLEEEEAAASSSEEE
One switch that can do so much.
r-51 is so funny!!
This is cool but funny!!
I’m always so amazed! These are so interesting and funny.
I love watching these
Henry Ford was far more than the founder of the Ford Motor Company—he was a mechanical prodigy, a social innovator, and a figure of contradictions. While widely known for revolutionizing the automobile industry with the Model T and the moving assembly line, many lesser-known aspects of his life reveal a complex and fascinating personality.
I love acellus!
So happy to watch this !!!
I loved the Henry Ford part.
Nice show today
That tiny robot is crazy
i didnt know the model T was the Ford
My favorite part of the science live was learning about the Robots and the Model T, I thought it was really cool.
I love science live
Interesting lesson! Electricity and amplification had my attention.
I had an amazing time learning like always, can’t wait for next weeks lesson.
I loved the little robot!
Henry Ford is my favorite inventor!
Lil of topic but Dr.B has a snake named Jeffrey so i guess its fine. I love snakes. Especially the Smooth Green Snake. They so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was amazing
Transistors are so interesting
This was fun to learn!
Very interesting
I love this!
So about the R51 section… did he actually put the Twinsisters around roads???
Where did the chemical symbols for the elements on a Periodic Table come from? I noticed that Helium is “He” possibly because Helium’s first two letters are “H” and “E.” The chemical symbol for Tungsten is “W,” even though the words lacks the letter “W.” Another example would be Mercury, which has a chemical symbol of “Hg.”
science is cool
I always look forward to the radio show!
I love Acellus!!
this is so fun to watch!
I love Acellus!
MIT researchers were able to make a tiny flying robot that flies as fast as bumblebee. To demonstrate how well the model worked they made the robot flip 10 times. MIT researchers were thinking that the robot could be used for search and rescue and because the robot is tiny it could fit through places that drones can not.
As always, r51 is the highlight of my day!
That’s amazing how fast that robot can go! And the video of the traffic because of the twin sisters was hilarious!!!
The Robot bugs are so cute!!!!!!!!!!
I love science live
Omg I love the Robot bugs!!
how do people make glass?
I liked learning about Henry Ford and would like to know more about the beginning of Ford cars
I love Science!!
What other notable things did Henry Ford do in his lifetime?
I love this!
i love this class!
What else did henry ford do?
i love science live!!!!!!
Loving the radio show! Learning about the model T was so awesome!
I thought it was cool what they did at James Cook University.
I liked learning about Henry Ford
omg I love the robot bugs!!!!They are super cuteeeee!!
Sharks are cool
The robot bugs are too cute!
Cool insect robot
Science Live is so fun!
loved watching the robot
Loved the radio show!
Science live is always so fun!
Polar bears have black skin that is so cool
r51 was so funny
I ‘d love to learn more about how you built a computer like the one you said.
I enjoy the learning about the origin of cars
Love this!!!
The bee robot was cool! The twin sister was so funny.
Those itty bitty robot bugs are amazing!
I thought the quadracycle was supe r cool. I’m like Henry Ford, I like to take things apart and build new things. I’m curious and want to learn more.
Loved learning about Henry Ford in this lesson.
We learned about Henry Ford and the Model T.
That was so interesting learning about the transistors!!
Radio show made me laugh haha.
wow!!!!!!!
The science live videos are always amazing
A shrak that can walk on land is crazy and they can breath air for few minutes is insane.
I loved learning how the assembly line came about.
It’s so amazing that such little robots can do so much!
Also, it’s so cool how the story that Tobias told when the car invention put on, but then it turned out good. It made me smile after the story was done 😁.
These videos are always intriguing.
I loved this!
The radio show was cool and very funny!!
Learning about Henry Ford was very interesting!
In this episode, I learned about a robot that could fly VERY FAST and continue flying for 1,000 seconds (about 17 minutes).