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 »
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!!
This is very off-topic, but your first name is my middle name! 😂
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!
I am interested in computer science, so this video was very exciting to watch.
Hi from Virginia, I liked seeing the clips from Acellus world.
My mom told me about the computers when she was younger. Computers are so much cooler now!
Its really nice to learn about how computers work if this was a course it would be awsome i would love to learn more about how computer work. I wonder what everyone thinks. (:
computers are cool once u know how many times they have changed over the years
Hi, from Myrtle Beach!
Computers are so cool!
Love “Breakthrough in science”
Hello from Sugarland, texas
Hello from Missouri!!
Thank you for this weeks science live, the way computers changed over the years was amazing.
Computers are amazing!
I enjoyed watching the live this week!
Science is a very interesting subject. of the Universe.
Hi!!! Good live guys!! I really liked the Apolo11 story! I was FACINATED by it!! My favorite part is when the dauther save the day haha.
It’s crazy how they used to weave those threads to act like a computer system. Out of everything I could’ve thought of, that wouldn’t have been it 😂
Computers are soooo coooool
How fascinating seeing how computers have changed over generations!
Computers are so cool.
Loved this week’s video thank you from Montana
I enjoyed this live so much. Thank you.
I think it is so cool that Acellus does Science live
Hello from Texas!
Margaret Hamilton and her team wrote over 100,000 pages detailing ideas on how computers should work. Their software made it possible for astronauts to land safely on the Moon. Evan when computers errors occurred during the mission, the system they designed continued to function, allowing the mission to succeed.
So interesting! Computers have always interested me.
Computers are amazing!
If another number combo was used besides 1’s and 0’s, would it be more complex but better processing?
Computers have changed so much.
It crazy how much computers change as technogoly gets better
It’s fascinating to see the progression of computers over the years! I wonder how they’ll advance in the future.
I love science live so much
I don’t live anywhere near Kansas but I’m still gonna ask my mom to take me since y’all are having that thing there .
computers are actually so cool
Computers are so amazing!!!!!!!!
These lives are awesome. Hi from CA!
Very interesting science live this week!
I loved the live I learned a lot from it
Hi from Georgia!
I hope that they do these videos for a lot longer.
hi from texas!! :0
Hi from Kentucky
Hello from Illinois.
interesting live this week!
Computers are so important.
It was interesting learning about how computers work.
This weeks Science Live was pretty interesting!
Its crazy that AI takes so much power to learn and know everything, just for people to use it wirelessly on a phone or computer.
Hello from Texas
watching from texas
vaccum tubes are so cool
Great live this week! Computers are so fascinating! I didn’t know they changed that much.
The history of computers is interesting.
i never knew that about computers
Hi from florida ! I enjoy all the technology we get to learn about
The evolution of the computer is truly fascinating!
I can’t wait to watch this weeks science live. Hi from VA!
Are there satellite regulations?
So cool! See you next Wednesday!
it’s cool how computers are evolving
I really liked this episode I actually watched it the whole way through
Hi from Virginia!
I love learning how computers have changed over the years especially with me wanting to study computer science. I love science live and R-51 cant stop making me laugh! See you guys next week
Hi from New Jersey, thannks for the video! : )
I think science live is amazing and really good and I love learning because its so fun and you can make so many projects with science you can help others!! I like to be kind. Learning is so much fun and Acellus is great for me and I hope everyone and everybody to have a great night or day.
It’s honestly so cool how society creates amazing inventions.
7 million is alot more money then people think.
Love Learning new things every Wednesday night!
yes R51 is fun.
hello from omaha nebraska tech is so intresting
R51 is funny
See you again next week!
This weeks Science Live was pretty interesting!
The evolution of computers are so cool!
CompUTERS ROCK
I can guarantee that the next episode will involve AI! AI is being pushed so hard on everything, so having the next episode be an episode on AI would be amazing!
The progress computers have made from the first generation to modern day is amazing.
Hello from Illinois!!!
I love computers so much because we can learn and play our video games on them!
“Stop, turn around, and comeback.” is so incredibly true, even in real life scenarios. Its always good to stop and take a moment to think about what’s beneficial and what isn’t.
cool video! be safe and have a great rest of your winter.
The growth of computers is amazing!
I love learning about computers!