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 »
R51 is hilarious! 😂
wowww the history of computers is fasinating
Good morning from Singapore 🇸🇬 btw
I liked learning about computers
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Hi from NC!!!
Dr. B is the best the teacher ever!
yay I love getting to watch these !! from maryland !!!!
Thanks for explaining it to where I feel smart.
what is the best science degree?
How many lights would you be able to connect to a circuit before it stops working?
Can we learn more about morscode
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Watching from Virginia.
Im learning a lot about how computers work! I had no idea it was this complicated!
Area 51 is funny!!!
That was show about computers night!
Hi from Minnesota they should have the next fair in Minnesota
R51 is so funny!
It’s crazy that we have a bunch of modern vacuum tube’s in our phones!
computers are interesting, any technology is. They put a bunch of work in them.
A transistor is a modern day vacuum tube.
R 51 is a cool guy
this live is so fun
i really enjoy science
Hi from Ohio!!
I’m new to computers but they are cool
What year was the first ever functional vacuum tube made?
hello from Mississippi!
My absolute favorite part about science live is the protégés. I love!!! Their little skits.
hello from texas
ive heard about the calculator before im glad you got to explain in depth
Great episode tonight!
i love r51
I always look forward to Wednesday evenings for Science Live!! Thank you for the knowledge
I wonder what would happen if John could time travel to now and see how much his computer has evolved over the years 😀
Really enjoyed Tobias’ segment this week!!
this was a very cool video
R51 is awesome
R-51 IS SO FUNNY, LOVEE YOU GUYS.
We love R51!
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Hello from NC
Another great informative Science Live! The proteges have been a great addition.
R 51 is funny and kinda smart
I never thought about what IN a computer!!!
how many parts of a computer is the minimum?
Hi from Virginia
omg Roger B you are a great teacher and i appreciate the schollarship
I didn’t know that big lights were made out of little pixel lights. That’s so cool!!!
hi i am Alex i am from Illinois, that was so fun!
I think about animatronics after learning about the items in the development of the original computer
Old computers looked old fashioned.
R51 [very funny]
r51 Is my favorite!!
I love R-51
You have to start by understanding each part, however that will take some time
He is so funny r51
The Apollo 11 was the first mission to the moon ;]
hello from Georgia!!!
R51!
love r-51
Learning about binary was really interesting, the way a lot of ones and zeros can make computers do a variety of things. Anything a computer does, like displaying an image, running a game, or performing calculations, all comes back to a series of ones and zeros.
Hi from georgia
thank you for todays science live episode!
This was amazing night it was really interesting about Mrs. Hamilton. R51 you are always so funny.
Wow, this is so interesting. How can I figure out more?
r51 really made sense for the first time.
It’s crazy to know such complexity on a computer is only 1s and 0s.
Hello from Georgia. Acellus World looks like a lot of fun.
Vacuum tubes are cool!
Acellus always doing something fun lol
Oh R51 and his vacuum tubes😆
hello from Florida
Excited for science Live tonight, thank you -ZoeyC
Tonight I leard that John Mauckly loved to learn about weather and electricity. He even created his own radio and weather equipment
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I wish I came to Kansas *
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Great episode tonight. Thank you!
R51 is so funny!
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How fast is does electricity travel in the water
hi from florida!
today’s live was so funny and entertaining
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Hi Guys! Andi From Searsport Maine Here!
R51 is my kind of mathematician!
Interesting information as usual. Technology is the future!
Can AI use other things besides water as a coolant?
I like science.
Wow I learned letters are made of numbers!
its so amazing how before it use to be 30 tons of machinery just to do some calculations and now its a little micro chip that does everything instantly.
Great live tonight! I’m so excited for next Wednesday.
the way computers were made is so cool
How many different size vacuum tubes are there?
great live, i always learn so much.
r51 is a little jokester😂
I love R-51 my fav part of live!!
I live science lives!!!!
Comment Yayyy. Super excited I got to watch a broadcast live!!!
I love R51.
I think it’s so cool that computers come in different sizes like small large and medium!
Hey coming from no! This is so cool!
When will the aviation course be available? As always thank you for another great science live.
R51’S deserves his own class to teach science!!!!! R51 FOREVER
Is it possible to make a UFO?
Hello from Texas.
So cool to learn about the moon I never thought it would have been that difficult to get to it.
It is cool how technology changes it’s just taking someone’s idea and making it better, faster, and less bulky. It will be interesting to see what technology will be available when I grow up.
This is so cool!! So excited for next week!!
Nice to see you again R51, let’s see what we can do with vacuum tubes.
Yay science live! Hi from Virginia.
R51 is so funny
Thank you for the video.
Good Evening from Virginia!
I love r51
Love tuning in from alabama
Hi from texas
It is so cool and entertaining to watch
I love science live it’s the best
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A vacuum tube as a computer, what next?
Hi from Florida
this was so awesome!!! i love these episodes
I love acellus
Happy February ! Very cool science live today.
learned a lot during this videoo!!!!
The history of computers was very interesting.
What a good Idea!
Thank you for the live! -Illinois
yay R51. I look forward to him every week.
I enjoyed watching this episode of science live
Science is my favorite
Hi from NJ!
its cool how ai has evolved (:
Hi from Oregon
Hello from Texas! I love tuning in!
I liked Dr. Johns lesson tonight.
R51 always makes me laugh! I’m currently saving up to get one of his shirts!
R51 is Hilarious!!
It’s crazy how everything on a computer is only 1s and 0s.
I like the part about the computers for space
This is the best day of the week!!
I love science
How much smaller are the electronics in Phones and computers going to get?
It’s amazing how people can go from electrical currents and lightbulbs into computers!
Acellus has helped me so much in school!!!!
They should make a magic class.
This Science Live is my favorite so far
R-51’s goofy as always!
Incredible to think how many resources AI uses, keep putting out cool facts Tobias!
Hello from MS!
I like learning about electricity in science class
hi from maine
How do they detrine how much fuel they need for the weight they ‘re carrying?
I love Science Live and especially love the Protégés, Caleb did so good! Also love Pajét’s shirt!!! Can’t wait for r 51
i just love these vids
Hi R-51 :3
I love r51
These things that we learn every Wednesday is so so intriguing.
I wonder how we do decimals in binary.
Wow I’m learning so much right now!
I can’t wait for r51!! He is so funny!!
what is the difference between a bit and a byte
Hello! Watching from DE.
Hello from Texas! I love tuning in!
it is nice, that I don’t need to carring a huge computer, my is a laptop. thank you for all the improvements in science.
I love how silly/unhinged the Proteges’ segment was today, lol-
Love this weeks stream amazing about space and computers.
It’s interesting to see how the devices have changed
hi from tx
How were the rockets made back then? I will search it up later with my mom.
There need to be lives with only roger billings!
Dr. Billings, can we create something that is more efficient than binary?
hi from Texas y’all
its so amazing to watch these