Vacuum Tube Computing

February 4, 2026  •  EPISODE 296

How did computers go from filling entire rooms to fitting in your hand? In this episode of Science LIVE, Dr. Roger Billings and the Protégés explore vacuum tube computing and the technology that launched the digital age. Hear stories about early machines, the Billings Computer, and floppy disks as Dr. Billings shares his firsthand experiences helping shape modern computing.

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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5,811 Comments

  1. Deegan

    That is cool on how circuits work and how Claude Shannon made it work.

    Reply
  2. Paris

    did George Boole introduce his algebra to the world and they decided to add it to mathematics or was it just his thing only? and hello from maryland

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  3. Joseph

    joe from new york love learning from acellus

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  4. Jesus

    Hello from Texas

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  5. Gabriella

    Thanks for teaching about Margarent i never knew this

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  6. Kaiya

    I knew computers were highly intricate but this is pretty fascinating!

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  7. Aurora

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  8. Sophia

    Hi from NC

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  9. Robert

    I never knew about Margaret Hamilton until now thank you Science Live for teaching me about her!

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  10. Audrey

    new stuff has been learned!

    Reply
  11. Shania

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    Reply
  12. Kayleigh

    I love it!
    Hello from Arizona, where it is rather unfairly hot here.

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  13. Gavin

    Great live tonight, I enjoyed all of the presentations. Amazon is building a new data center in my county, I can’t wait to see it when completed.

    Reply
  14. Hank

    hi from vermont

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  15. Alena

    This is so interesting!

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  16. Kielan

    How would AI function with data centers in space? Would it be the same?

    Reply
  17. Emmitt

    I never knew that guy existed until now thanks!

    Reply
  18. Pandora

    I really enjoyed Tobias’ s explanation of the moon landing. It was very interesting

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  19. Maura

    Hi from Mississippi!!!

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  20. Riley

    How did people find electricity

    Reply
  21. Zaynab

    Hi, from illinois!

    Reply
  22. Samuel

    Hi from Colombia! Its really interesting that Margaret Hamilton wrote all of that coding and debugging by hand! Thank you Acellus for always keeping me busy all Wednesdays.

    Reply
  23. Brady

    I really liked Tobias’ about the moon landing and how much programming it took

    Reply
  24. Keaira

    hello from virginia

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  25. Alexis

    Heya from Montana!!

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  26. Addison

    this is for sure my favorite science live! loved watching it.

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  27. Emma

    How are lightbulbs are made?

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  28. Brennah

    Acellus is the best!! I love it!

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  29. Victoria

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  30. Jack

    I love watching these

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  31. Naiya

    Learning about computers is so fun.

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  32. Madilynn

    Always interesting to see how people have successfully achieved big things early on in their lives, it’s an inspiration

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  33. Shawn

    There are no words to describe how funny this is! Never a dull moment from these guys.

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  34. King

    Heya from maryland!!

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  35. Eliana

    Hi from New Jersey

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  36. Umayma

    I love science lives!

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  37. Adara

    I like what i’am learning. This is soo FUN!!!!

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  38. Michael

    Hi im from Nevada thank you

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  39. Charles

    was the compoter the same as a type writer?

    Reply
  40. Emma

    Are there other types of algebra similar to Boolean Algebra?

    Reply
  41. Mira

    Hello from Ohio, which is kind of a cool place for science and invention! A lot of important ideas started here, like the Wright brothers’ work on flight and Thomas Edison’s inventions. It makes me excited to learn about science knowing that “innovation magic” has happened where I live, and that regular people from places like Ohio can change the world.

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  42. Ryan

    I always enjoy watching the prodigies make there little skits.

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  43. Allison

    I think its amazing how advanced computers have gotten

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  44. Kinsleigh

    love this program! It’s simple and so engaged with students.

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  45. Evanghelie

    How long did it take to create the first computer?

    Reply
  46. Debra

    I actually never knew that AI used water as a coolant. I think it’s pretty cool that they’re trying to take it to space and I think it would be better for our environment!

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  47. Carson

    Hi from VA

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  48. Addyson

    Watching from SC

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  49. Erik

    Can Acellus add notebooks that can be redeemed for gold credits in the shop?

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  50. Sophia

    Hi from Louisiana.

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  51. Landon

    I love science live!! from Texas!!

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  52. Shiley

    What is an anode?

    Reply
  53. Oliver

    which one’s more powerful? positive energy or negative?

    Reply
  54. Efrain

    very cool to learn about vacuum tubes

    Reply
  55. Dy`kei

    the science live is full of great information!

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  56. Valentina

    hello from New York

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  57. Brody

    I learned a lot of new things this week. Thanks Science LIVE!

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  58. Alice

    Hi from Georgia its pretty cold here!

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  59. Hunter

    Hi from florida! I love these skits. they are amazing.

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  60. Rylee

    Hello from Tennessee!

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  61. Briley

    I love science live

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  62. Danielle

    hi from georgia

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  63. Anthony

    Electricity is such a cool invention!

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  64. Kaitlyn

    The astronauts were probably scared when the code kept coming up.

    Reply
  65. Faith

    Awesome thoughts of the proteges and learning from them and Dr. Billings

    Reply
  66. Danielle

    I never knew about Margaret Hamilton until now thank you Science Live for teaching me about her!

    Reply
  67. Chloe

    I absolutely love the amount of effort that goes into each section of the Proteges’ time on screen! Happy February everyone

    Reply
  68. Tyler

    The acting is hilarious every time, and the editing skills on this one are so on point, love the work.

    Reply
  69. Ann

    i love when you do the science live

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  70. Hugh

    The first computer weighed almost 30 ton!

    Reply
  71. Bella

    computers and wifi are cool because they give kids alot valuable knowledge and games to play

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  72. Kaleiya

    Love Science Live. My absolute favorite.

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  73. Jesus

    Hello from Texas !!

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  74. Maximilian

    Hello from Ohio

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  75. Evan

    john is cool

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  76. Annabelle

    I love science live, thank you Dr Billings

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  77. Ever

    I love science live, I learn something new every time i watch!

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  78. Peyton

    Great live tonight! Very interesting. 🙂

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  79. Jordan

    Hello from New Mexico!

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  80. Lillian

    Hi Science live! How’s it going? I love science live!

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  81. Emily

    It’s so awesome to see the new skits in lives

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  82. Blaine

    Binary language sounds so interesting

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  83. Nasir

    I had that same question, thank you for answering it.

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  84. Jayden

    I loved listening to that completely detailed explanation for the Apollo missions and the process that it took to do something extraordinary.

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  85. Everett

    Thanks for hosting these science lives I always love how interesting they are

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  86. Hailey

    Science lives are so fun to watch by the way

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  87. Katelyn

    Signing in from NC! I love watching science live, I learn so much from it! Keep it up!

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  88. Nicholas

    Hello from Illinois!

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  89. Jernimo

    Science live is cool

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  90. Kyla

    I enjoyed learning about how computers worked back in the day.

    Reply
  91. Silas

    Binary is the language that computers speak, which are in 1’s and 0’s.

    Reply
  92. Ella

    I wish we used those typewriters still

    Reply
  93. Jailore

    What an interesting concept of how far computers have come!! What is the environmental time line is conservation efforts to stop AI data center don’t work?

    Reply
  94. Kenneth

    Astrolabes are my favorite type of analog computer, it’s genuinely incredible how someone could come up with those back in the days of sailboats.

    Reply
  95. Malaysia

    I never knew about Margaret Hamilton until now thank you Science Live for teaching me about her!

    Reply
    • Faith

      It was good to learn about her too

      Reply
    • Trenton

      This is so cool. I really liked learning about computers and the vacuum tube.

      Reply
    • Jude

      Same, I also didn’t know about Mrs. Hamilton. I only knew about buzz and Armstrong.

      Reply
  96. Jace

    Hello from ND

    Reply
  97. Daniel

    Im glad we have better computers so I can do this home school on a computer

    Reply
  98. Nathanel

    hi from florida it’s coooold Down here

    Reply
  99. Kaleiya

    Epic! Can’t wait for next week.

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  100. Daylin

    I LOVE THEM HOLY COW THERE FUNNY!!

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    • Luke

      How do they make color on my screen? Do they do it with binaries code

      Reply
  101. Amir

    Hi from mississippi

    Reply
  102. Jadiel

    who knows how many ones and zeros our devices could be using at the same time.

    Reply
  103. Enzo

    It’s so cool how the computer can hold so much information with just a few switches.

    Reply
  104. Ethan

    Hi from TX

    Reply
  105. Skylar

    I wonder if AI language follows the same principals as binary

    Reply
  106. Victoria

    Hey this is V from Florida! That’s crazy that technology is really just made up of ones and zeros!! :O

    Reply
  107. Isabella

    omg that’s really impressive cant imagine doing all that math and data by hand

    Reply
  108. Emily

    Hello from Mississippi!!

    Reply
  109. Valerie

    hi from Nevada!!

    Reply
  110. Kaleb

    We love R51 and the film with delivery pizza very inspiring to make my own film!

    Reply
  111. Cadence

    Hi from MS

    Reply
  112. Nicholas

    Sais-tu vraiment lire le français ? Génial !

    Reply
  113. Kelson

    It’s interesting how many codes can be made with on/off switches!

    Reply
  114. Alex

    wow human math!

    Reply
  115. Joseph

    This is fantastic!!

    Reply
  116. Aubrie

    Science live is the best

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  117. Penelope

    Hi from sc!

    Reply
  118. Tristiny

    science lives are always so much fun to watch!

    Reply
  119. Emmanuel

    Hello from kansas city

    Reply
  120. Avi

    Are David and Caleb coders?

    Reply
  121. Charles

    how would the vacuum computer work?

    Reply
  122. John

    Why is the nasa computers so big

    Reply
  123. Ava

    Good evening for Puerto Vallarta!
    My dad made his own super computer and it was so cool to watch!

    Reply
  124. Vincent

    Binary code is a fascinating system that underpins digital technology, revealing the ways computers process and communicate information.

    Reply
  125. Dakota

    I learned about binary in my coding course! It’s really interesting and one of the coolest parts of technology

    Reply
  126. Addyson

    These lives are amazing

    Reply
  127. Alahna

    Hello from Georgia , I love the science live and radio waves.

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  128. Morgan

    I love Science Live!

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  129. Oliver

    being a computer must be exhausting! geez!

    Reply
  130. Jack

    When is acelles world

    Reply
  131. Jaidyn

    LOVE the Protégés! I’ve always wondered how computers really work! Thanks for the breakdown!

    Reply
  132. Lailani

    This is one of my favorite parts of the science lives!

    Reply
  133. Adam

    Wow that’s incredible, all of what im seeing are just 1s and 0s

    Reply
  134. Adrian

    Do you think that complex AI will supersede binary to create more intricate language in computers?

    Reply
  135. Grayson

    Hello from Texas!

    Reply
  136. Andrea

    OMG! Such incredible information! I LOVE this1!

    Reply
  137. Jackson

    Hi from mississippi

    Reply
  138. Brooklyn

    It’s crazy how much electricity Ai data centers use!

    Reply
  139. Eli

    Good evening from Texas.

    Reply
  140. Arthur

    I like all of the facts and how inspiring it is to be sucsesfull and invent cool things.

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  141. Fallon

    Fallon enjoys the science lives.

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  142. Dylan

    hello from colorado! 😀

    Reply
  143. Austin

    it fascenates me that all those 1’s and 0’s can make big stuff work like robots which move and even bigger stuff like rockets.

    Reply
  144. Elizabeth

    That’s cool that how binary works

    Reply
  145. Vivyan

    Hi from Las Vegas ! love science live!

    Reply
  146. Lucy

    Why is binary just ones and zeroes?

    Reply
  147. Andrew

    Computers are like trees branches and roots from the bottom is the binary code 1 and 0 yes and no.

    Reply
  148. Mai

    Wow! Oscar deserving performance !

    Reply
  149. Regan

    Wait these are actually really fun to watch not gonna lie.☺️

    Reply
  150. Ethan

    How was Binary discovered?

    Reply
  151. Kaylyn

    How did they come up with the idea of the computer?

    Reply
  152. Taylor

    Hi from Michigan!

    Reply
  153. Gillian

    Binary is fascinating!

    Reply
  154. Diana

    hello from TX!!!

    Reply
  155. Wyatt

    hi from Mississippi it’s great so far!

    Reply
  156. Stephan-obama

    How is it cold in space if the sun always there

    Reply
  157. Beja

    Heyyy from Texas!

    Reply
  158. Breeze

    Cool information about computers & switches

    Reply
  159. Isaiah

    I did not know that computers could be so big they had their own room.

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  160. Oluwadarasimi

    Hi. I love Science Live! 🙂

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  161. Mila

    wow i was going to ask how computers work,
    I’m watching from Iowa

    Reply
  162. Kaisen

    Why are the switches important

    Reply
  163. Elli

    hello from Minnesota

    Reply
  164. Violet

    Computers have come a long way!

    Reply
  165. Tai

    this video is pretty cool 😎. I don’t have questions though

    Reply
  166. Addison

    Hi from Puerto Vallarta! Science live is so informative!

    Reply
  167. Micah

    Humans were able to create the internet from sticks and dirt, anything is possible.

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  168. River

    Hello from Texas!

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  169. Liberty

    Binary code is SOO interesting!!

    Reply
  170. Avery

    Hi from Texas! Enjoying the computer science lesson!

    Reply
  171. Shaylyn

    How long could you survive in space without a suit.

    Reply
  172. Mackenzie

    Hello from Texas! <3

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  173. Ziven

    That is so cool!! I love Science Live

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  174. Cody

    Hi from ORegon

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  175. Miah

    I love watching science lives! They are always interesting.

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