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 »

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6,385 Comments

  1. Jayden

    Hello from Illinois

    Reply
  2. Tyler

    hello

    Reply
  3. Tallen

    Hello from Georgia

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  4. Victoria

    Hello!

    Reply
  5. Evelyn

    hi

    Reply
  6. Noah

    How could the flying robots help?

    Reply
  7. Sophie

    hello from Georgia!!!!

    Reply
  8. Morgan

    Hello from Germany!

    Reply
  9. Ethan

    Hi from Missouri

    Reply
  10. Aiden

    I like the little robot

    Reply
  11. Yoel

    Hello from New York

    Reply
  12. Rex

    How small is this robot?

    Reply
  13. Donovan

    that’s a rlly cool robot i didn’t know they designed robots wondering about how it could move like an insect

    Reply
  14. Annabella

    Hello from Texas!! Ready to see what tonight has in store for us!

    Reply
  15. Mason

    Happy Wednesday from Idaho

    Reply
  16. Lilly

    How do you enter the science fair if you live in Idaho Dr. B?

    Reply
  17. Boen

    so cool

    Reply
  18. Sebastian

    What would you use tiny robots for?

    Reply
  19. Samantha

    hello from Missouri!

    Reply
  20. Nathan

    Hi from illinois

    Reply
  21. Nevaeh

    heyyy

    Reply
  22. Veronica

    Hello from Missouri

    Reply
  23. Daniel

    Hello to all Acellus students I hope evryone hade a good week

    Reply
  24. Damian

    Here’s a joke:
    What is a pirate’s favorite state?
    ARRRRRR-kansas!

    Reply
  25. Hailey

    Hello from Mississippi!

    Reply
  26. Samuel

    that cool

    Reply
  27. Lincoln

    im so glad to be here

    Reply
  28. Asher

    Hello!

    Reply
  29. Jaylani

    Are some animals genuinely robots and we just don’t know?

    Reply
  30. Camryn

    Hi from CT!! Love the weekly science lives!

    Reply
  31. Ultan

    Hi from Washington

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  32. Hayden

    Hello from Georgia

    Reply
  33. Ali

    HI FROM VA

    Reply
  34. Kenady

    I enjoyed learning about the sharks!

    Reply
  35. Natalie

    A robot insect? So interesting!

    Reply
  36. Kennija

    Hello!

    Reply
  37. Jacob

    Hello from Texas.

    Reply
  38. Elaina

    Hi from Missouri

    Reply
  39. Lucy

    Hi!

    Reply
  40. Ely

    hi im here

    Reply
  41. Brayden

    Hello From Maryland! Very hyped up for today’s episode.

    Reply
  42. Carson

    Hi how are you

    Reply
  43. Thalia

    hi from texas love the lives.

    Reply
  44. Aadil

    love this👌🏽

    Reply
  45. Carter

    Hey from Florida!

    Reply
  46. Harley

    how can insects move so fast?

    Reply
  47. Owen

    here from GA!

    Reply
  48. Liam

    i like technology its fun

    Reply
  49. Matthew

    I truly wonder how small robots can get

    Reply
  50. Alexander

    This is cool.

    Reply
  51. Jibran

    Hello from MD

    Reply
  52. Sarah

    this is interesting

    Reply
  53. Emoni

    Hello from Texas!!

    Reply
  54. Caleb

    How can the computer find eye cancer?

    Reply
  55. Luka

    hi from IL

    Reply
  56. Aaram

    Hello from Colorado!

    Reply
  57. Georgiana

    Hello from Texas! Who qualifies for the science fair?

    Reply
  58. Reid

    hello from MS

    Reply
  59. Nicholas

    liking the show tonight lads!

    Reply
  60. Annabella

    Hello from Texas!! 🙂

    Reply
  61. Lilly

    I love Wednesdays!

    Reply
  62. Shiley

    What is technology specialist?

    Reply
  63. Kaylee

    Hi from Georgina!

    Reply
  64. Aaliyah

    Hello everyone I am from Colorado

    Reply
  65. Halle

    Hi from Alabama!

    Reply
  66. Hailee

    Hi everyone from NJ!

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  67. Kayden

    Hey from MS!

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  68. Zander

    I love science live

    Reply
  69. Natalie

    Hi from Ohio!

    Reply
  70. Natalie

    Hello from gerogia, hope everyone is prepared for the weather!

    Reply
  71. Sophia

    Happy Wednesday!

    Reply
  72. Caleb

    Hello Everyone!

    Reply
  73. Makayla

    hi from Tennessee

    Reply
  74. Valerie

    hi from GA!!!

    Reply
  75. Shae

    Hello from the USA!

    Reply
  76. Miriam

    That’s so cool, what she created is amazing.

    Reply
  77. Jayden

    Hi from Kentucky!

    Reply
  78. Thoie

    From Louisiana, love this week science live!

    Reply
  79. Jesus

    Hello I from Grand prairie

    Reply
  80. Owen

    Hello from tx

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  81. Noor

    Love this keep going!

    Reply
  82. Mia

    Hi from florida!

    Reply
  83. Adalina

    I love Acellus

    Reply
  84. Trayton

    Hi from Nebraska

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  85. Rilee

    Hello from NC!

    Reply
  86. Zion

    I am here from Missouri.

    Reply
  87. Stella

    hi from Arizona

    Reply
  88. Claire

    Technology is really cool!

    Reply
  89. Kyle

    Hi from Missouri!

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  90. Ryein

    hi from Texas

    Reply
  91. Brooklyn

    Hi! I am ready for this weeks science live! I hope everyone has a goodnight.

    Reply
  92. Micah

    how many named sharks breeds are there

    Reply
  93. Jason

    Hi from Alabama

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  94. Cannon

    hello from Texas

    Reply
  95. Michael

    hi from hawaii!

    Reply
  96. Emmaleigh

    Hiii. From Alabama.!!

    Reply
  97. Landyn

    what is acellus world?

    Reply
  98. Alex

    I love science this will be so fun! 😁

    Reply
  99. Tristyn

    Hello from Kansas.

    Reply
  100. Braxton

    how are yall

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  101. Piper

    hi from idaho

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  102. Hunter

    Hello from Kentucky!

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  103. Mohammed

    I love science

    Reply
  104. Jackson

    Hello from Tennessee!

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  105. Faolan

    Hi from Washington

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  106. Faythe

    hello from Michigan! Excited for today’s stream

    Reply
  107. Kayelee

    Hello!! From Texas

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  108. Abimael

    hi from Sc

    Reply
  109. Hailee

    Hello from NJ!

    Reply
  110. Hailey

    Hello everybody!

    Reply
  111. Lainey

    Can we watch the science fair on our devices?

    Reply
  112. Jessiah

    Hello from Kentucky! 🙂

    Reply
  113. Nicholas

    Hi from Virginia.

    Reply
  114. Emilio

    Wow that research was amazing. I wish there were more coding activities for 2nd graders! I would also like to have science labs

    Reply
  115. Truitt

    Hello from Colorado

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  116. Caleb

    Hi from PA

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  117. Gabrielle

    Hi from Rhode Island

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  118. Sophia

    Happy Wednesday!!

    Reply
  119. Anabelle

    so excited for this live!

    Reply
  120. Katie

    Hello from Roby Mo. You should put the tickets in the shop for the fair when you do it. 🙂

    Reply
  121. Isabella

    greetings from mississippi!!

    Reply
  122. Heidi

    Hello from Oregon!

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  123. Shania

    Hi From Florida . Can’t wait to listen to this science live.

    Reply
  124. Dalma

    Hello from kentucky!

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  125. Shelley

    Hi from IL

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  126. Geo

    HELLO from New jersey!

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  127. Andrew

    wow, this is so interesting!

    Reply
  128. Marilyn

    Hello from Michigan

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  129. Moriah

    Hello, love hearing about the science fair!

    Reply
  130. Savannah

    Hi from Louisanna.

    Reply
  131. Jameson

    Hello my name is Jameson and I am from Maryland. I am excited for today’s science live!

    Reply
  132. Elise

    That so impressed she did that! Wow!

    Reply
  133. Brody

    Hi from NC

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  134. Isabella

    Hello from Alabama.

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  135. Alicia

    great video! love from south dakota

    Reply
  136. Miracle

    hi from Mississippi

    Reply
  137. Katie

    Hello from Louisiana!

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  138. Phoenix

    hello from Oklahoma

    Reply
  139. Christopher

    Hello acellus, if this is science live will they be more like language arts live math live?

    Reply
  140. Preston

    Hi from Washington

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  141. Deklyn

    hello from Idaho!

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  142. Benjamin

    Hi from Idaho!

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  143. Novah

    Hello, from MS!

    Reply
  144. Luke

    hi from Florida

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  145. Yusra

    Good evening from Maryland”

    Reply
  146. Peyton

    Ready to learn something new

    Reply
  147. Bradyn

    hello from S.C

    Reply
  148. Paisley

    Hi from georgia

    Reply
  149. Travis

    That’s an awesome invention.

    Reply
  150. Delia

    Hello from Massachusetts! How can we continue advancing our technology while maintaining a good state for our wildlife and environment?

    Reply
  151. Abram

    I liked hearing about the sharks that produce eggs without using energy

    Reply
  152. Levi

    Hi from the freezing state of Texas

    Reply
  153. Zahra

    Wow, coding a whole app BY YOURSELF is really cool!

    Reply
  154. Olivya

    I’m so excited for this live!

    Reply
  155. Kyra

    Hello from Tennessee!

    Reply
  156. Matthew

    hi Dr Billing I would like to see you some day and you tpp Dr. paja

    Reply
  157. Peyton

    Hello from the texas

    Reply
  158. Billy

    What’s up from NYC to

    Reply
  159. Landon

    Hello, how have you been?

    Reply
  160. Elias

    Hello first time here!

    Reply
  161. Sarisha

    Way to go, Richa!

    Reply
  162. Waverly

    Hello from Ohio!!

    Reply
  163. Morgan

    the science fair sounds cool, might do it next year

    Reply
  164. Arielle

    See I told you I would come back. But I love love love love love love Love Science Life and did you ever know that Science Life is awesome and the best teacher ever is awesome Hay did you know that 😄 but it is the same thing as the teacher in the world 🌎 is awesome and funny! But you are the best teacher ever ho and you Friends.

    Reply
  165. Landyn

    hi from united states

    Reply
  166. Carley

    Hello from Virginia!

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  167. Arlyanis

    Hi from Florida!

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  168. Leslie

    Hello love science hope yall have a good time ❤️

    Reply
  169. Avie

    Amazing project girl! Love Science Live!

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  170. Ella

    Watching from Illinois! I love watching Science Live!! The R51 is very silly.

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  171. Jaxson

    Hello from LV

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  172. Kiana

    hi how you doing

    Reply
  173. Madelin

    Early dedection of cancer would help so many people

    Reply
  174. Brody

    Hi from NC, I’m so excited to be here.

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  175. Andres

    My dad gets migraines,

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