Vacuum Tube Computing
February 4, 2026 • EPISODE 296
Join Roger Billings, a technology thought leader and innovator, as he draws from his diverse range of life experiences, inspiring students of all ages to love science and to understand the value of education in empowering their life missions.
This highly motivational and informative lecture series, hosted by the International Academy of Science, is part of the Roger Billings Mentoring Scholarship.

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 »



I liked how funny it was and it was about people from the past that made tech and 1’s and 0’s
I loved learning about the flight to the moon!
Wow! This was really interesting to learn about!
This was a really cool episode
I can’t wait for Acellus world this year. Last year was a lot of fun!
Hi from MS. I really liked today’s live.
Its kind of funny how the smallest things can make the biggest difference in things like computers.
I like the info on the binary codes with the 1 and 0.
hello from va! #acellus
r51 so funny
So interesting how the start of binary and computers started.
hello from Virginia
Epic Science Live as always!
Lots of things on computers today!
I found vacuum tubes interesting.
I love todays science live, I had fun learning about computers.
I really want to get into tech after graduation.
Computers always confuse me but each time they talk about them on science live, I gets a little bit easier!
Thanks for another great video as always from Illinois.
That new carbon dioxide form sounds really interesting!
Hope you get your voice back DR. Tobias 😊. The computers are a lot fun to learn about.
Binary is the language of computers….awesome!
reply if you love science live!!!!!!!!!
Hi From Namibia
I had no idea that computers had their own language.
Awesome video, I love learning about technology!
R51 LOL
Even the smallest details matter when dealing with computers, one error could be change everything.
Why do they call them pixels?
i love acellus
here from florida
Love today’s video it’s so cool we get a science live every week
science live is cool
Why did he make a vacuum chamber?
Sattelites are so cool. I never knew that they needed the sun to even function.
What is the moon made out of?
These videos always teach me something new, like a micro current turning on a radio
SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ready to learn about computers
Really cool that a woman and her daughter actually made such a huge difference in the moon landing!!
Computers really have evolved a lot over the years! Its interesting to think about how they’ll keep evolving as time goes on. Really good episode, can’t wait to learn more!
This video was interesting and I did not know a lot of the history of the technology we use today.
Computers really have evolved a lot over the years! Its interesting to think about how they’ll keep evolving.
Watching from GA!
I would find it hard to weave wires
I love science lives and r-51
i like scince live so much
I love learning technology and science
🧪
hello from saudi
Amazing the technology progress throughout time
I can’t believe that electronics only use 1s and 0s.
Technology gets a little confusing for me so these videos really help me out alot
hello from NH!
I love science live!
wow I did not know computers are that complicated.
Listening from NC
Watching from Minnesota.
“Error” codes never give a good feeling. But glad the team had planned for that.
I never knew technology had so much work put into it. I use a tablet all the time and never thought about how they are made and how they actually work. It’s very interesting.
Amazing and funny live as always!!!
Its crazt to think about how computers worked back then versus nou!
This live is very interesting, I enjoy watching it every week!
Love science lives! Clearing about technology in computers is awesome
The evolution of radios is so fascinating.
I can’t believe that people are actually thinking about sending AI into space, after seeing a picture from Singapore!
The evolution of computers was interesting to learn about.
The way technology has progressed overtime is very crazy to think about and impressive for all the scientists that make it better everyday.
Science is awesome!
So excited to watch Science Live !!!!!!!!
hello world of accelus.
Technology is amazing!
Computers are so cool!
I love coming to science live every week. I always learn something new, it’s always exciting to see the new things being invented.
good morning from Kankakee IL.
Another great video from science live
I loved the Binary codeing! Can’t wait for next week
Why is getting to the moon so hard
The computer part was the coolest!
I love learning about old and new technology, and how it has changed.
Wow! That is so cool we can use hydrogen like that!
Excited to learn something new today!
Hi from Illinois!
Science Live for the win…Again!
I love science live
Definitely my favorite episode, I love computers!!! 😁
hot diggity dog two minutes and seventeen seconds thats the best time yet. what no drink? that is my favourite part.
Computers are so cool!!!
Vacuum tube computing refers to the first generation of computers 1940s mid 1950s that used vacuum tubes instead of transistors to process and switch electrical signals. Just a little that i know. 👍
I love science live!
Hello from New Jersey
Thank you for the lecture!
My mom got to see a data center when Centurylink was her customer. She said it was very cool.
Learning about computers is so interesting
That was so interesting and fun!!!
should have listened to Margret lol !! The small details change everything and can make or break a situation. And teaches you to have a back up plan.
R51 is so funny 🙂
This video taught me all about computers!
I’m just thinking of the trouble when something breaks when in space! It would take a long time to get someone there to fix it….. wouldn’t it?
Here from Ky the video was great to watch
Listening in from AL 😁👍
The pile of codes were stacked so high and the fact that they did them all by hand is very impressive.
It was fun to learn about new technologies!
The video taught me that small details matter in computers just like tuning radio even a small change can affect the whole system
I loved this video because I find computers and the technological and coding aspect of them super interesting!
LOVE SCIENCE LIVE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
if you code in 1s and 0s could’nt you make a robot that can see and feal?
I like how they talked about how they thought of putting data stations in space to keep them cool and use less water.
Why did AI become so huge
Technology is really cool and amazing
I like computers and learning about them
Computers are so cool you can do so much.
What if one lecture could change how you see science, education, and your life’s mission?
it was cool to learn about computers cause this is probably where the world is heading especially because of AI
Hi from texas. The evolution of computers is really cool
Love the way you included a model of the circuit helped my understanding very greatly!!
The Proteges are cool! I like vacuum tubes.
Didn’t realize how small things change so much in technology, great week!
Scientists are one of the people that make a huge difference to the world!
It was amazing learning about computers!
What is AI made of
Meeting the teachers we see on the videos would be awesome!
Hello from NE!!
i didnt know computers were do detailed
I loved learning about computers and technology in this Science Live.
Wow that is awesome 👍🤩
My name is Timothy and do you think computer system will become more advance?
Here from ND!
This episode was so funny! Thank you Acellus! Low key love the Smeagol impersonation!
Acellus science live is always super fun!
Keep up the hard work! I love Science LIVES!
I love learning about technology it’s so cool!
I love that students are so involved in the Science Live, it feels so authentic and it’s always a blast to watch! Thank you for teaching me something new.
I really enjoyed science live this week.
Hello from Iowa!
The technology process is always so amazing
Hello from Florida!!
learning about bits and peices of computers was quite interesting
What problems do computers have because they use vacuum tubes?
Hey! Human computer???I think I need to watch again
computers are so intensive, its cool to learn how little things can change things so easily
Understanding many simple parts that make a computer helps us understand the entire system. This is a smart way of thinking about lots of topics.
I love how computers work they are incredible!
I really enjoyed the science live
The video taught me that small details matter in computers just like tuning radio even a small change can affect the whole system
Science Rocks!
The Star ship rocket is very cool
I love learning about technology, especially computers. I think they are so cool!
amazing progress with computers
Amazing the technology progress throughout time
Listening in from Tillamook OR
Do computers use this same principal in subtraction?
Wow just wow
Computers are so awesome.
Love r51 lol
This was a really entertaining episode, might’ve been my favorite one yet!!
Computers are so cool thank you for this video!
North Carolina here!!
Hi, Briella from California.
Just finished! So cool XD
Its so interesting that computers uses 1 and 0
It’s called the binary system you use a table to decode the 0’s and 1’s. The table consists of the numbers 16, 8, 4, 2, 1. 1 means on or add the number on the table and 0 means off.
I LOVE THESE VIDEOS!!! I love learning about computers! and Tobias jokes about staying focused ahahahah! that’s a super silly one heeheee! God bless
Science is so cool
It’s crazy how all this technology works now!
So interesting! I learned so many new things!
Wow computers are amazing!
Comment It was so cool to learn how far computers have come. Also it would be neat to build an electrical board
I wish I can go to science live in person that is cool I am going to watch the live broadcast
The evolution of computers is truly astonishing
Fun live can’t wait for next week!
Very Cool science live!
thank you for teaching us again dr.billings
I love acellus.
Thank you for a great science live!
I thought it was interesting that computers use so much power to do lots of things.
computers are cool
I think the history of computers is very interesting. I didn’t understand it that much because it was hard to process and got too complicated. I thought it was cool that computers have their own language and I didn’t know that the vacuum tube related to computers.
Computers are awesome and i love how they changed over time.
it was cool to learn about computers and the they operate
This was a good one.
R51 is hilarious!