IC – Divide by 3

February 25, 2026  •  EPISODE 299

How can tiny transistors do math? In this episode of Science LIVE with Roger Billings, discover how integrated circuits use logic gates and on-and-off transistors to multiply, divide, and process numbers. See how a simple “divide by 3” circuit is built—and how millions of these tiny switches working together make today’s powerful computers possible.

Roger Billings also talks about the engineering behind the Falcon 9 from SpaceX. In addition, learn how gallium could be used to generate hydrogen as a clean energy source, highlighting exciting possibilities for future energy innovation.

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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2,645 Comments

  1. Hudson

    Are we still using the same system for audio today?

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  2. Rhett

    R51 is funny!

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  3. Max

    It’s so fascinating to me how we can use simple IC’s to make arithmetic solving machines. It makes me appreciate, even more, calculators, binary, and helps me to have a better understanding. Thanks proteges.

    Reply
  4. Sydney

    I hope to see that the bacteria for the cancer is successful and we can hopefully get closer to curing cancer

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  5. Landon

    How small can they make computer.

    Reply
  6. Luke

    This science live was great I loved it.

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  7. Ollawatti

    This was a great video and very informative!

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  8. Austin

    I liked the cowboy scene.

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  9. Jamison

    wow, this one was really fun!

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  10. Brody

    I loved the gallium idea thanks for another week of science live

    Reply
  11. Kendra

    Did you know elon musk shot a rocket last night

    Reply
  12. Santiago

    What happens to IC divided by 3 if IC doubles?
    If IC=27, what is IC divided by 3?
    Again! Such a useful and great science video!

    Reply
  13. Sara

    The history of Mono and Stereo is pretty cool. Also the gallium plan is really neat!

    Reply
  14. Wesley

    Loved the protégé in thisnone!

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  15. Jordan

    i loved this science live.

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  16. Nguyen

    Science live help me have a lot of knowledge. Thank you!!!

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  17. Naveya

    Whats the science behind why on one side of the country its already in the 90’s and on the other it’s still snowing?

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  18. Jonathan

    I did an experiment with gallium super cool! Science Live is the best!!!

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  19. Aubrey

    I love learning new things in science each week!!

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  20. Journey

    I really enjoyed the Inventioneers performance and I think adding a female Inventioneer is really cool too!

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  21. Davante

    Once again, something I never knew about that I learned through this program, Acellus is great!

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  22. Sydney

    Acellus has made learning so efficient!

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  23. Lester

    I love R51!

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  24. Sofia

    That was a great quote from Thomas Edison!

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  25. Lily

    Great episode! I’m still wondering about project deep hole 🙂

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  26. Kiên

    why the small rocket is heavier than the big one.

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  27. Kacelyn

    Hi I really liked this science live. I also have a question, is it true the more wrinkles you have in your brain the smarter you are?

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  28. Vu

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  32. Natalya

    I absolutely enjoy these science lives!

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  33. Briella

    It was so cool how just one movie experience can turn into a great invention!

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  34. Corey

    Gallium is such an interesting element. It looks so much like mercury.

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  35. Melissa

    I wonder how much production for this show costs?

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  36. Prachnavi

    This episode is so amazing!

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  37. Jacob

    I enjoyed the cowboy theme. It was fun learning about circuits

    Reply
  38. Sebastian

    Integrated circuit to divide by 3 is cool

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  39. Sherif

    Liked the cowboy scene!

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  40. Jericho

    I love the gallium idea a lot!!

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  41. Lena

    i love how the useless piece of metal turned into a hydrogen source!

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  42. Eli

    Love learning from Science Live videos!

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  43. Miley

    Science is my favorite!

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  44. Jacey

    Science live is the best!!!!

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  45. Katelyn

    Hello from NY.

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  46. Samuel

    I enjoyed learning about Alan Blumein. Columbia SC

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  47. Hannah

    Learning with Acellus makes me feel happy 😊

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  48. Lacey

    science live is the best! ive learn so much from this program!

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  49. Travis

    hi from Texas.

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  50. Tommy

    I think science live is unique in its own way

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  51. Nico

    Hi all from NJ.. we love science Live here also!

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  52. Yeshua

    I love this video!! so awesome!!

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  53. Cooper

    wow science live is so great!!!!!!!!

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  54. Serianna

    Very cool, I wish I could watch this in person!! Thank you 🙂

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  55. Stellaris

    Are there any gallium experiments we can do at home?

    Reply
  56. Alana

    Gallium looks so cool, it would be interesting to see what we can do with it!

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  57. Effie

    Watching from Illinois!!

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  58. Kendra

    Hi from NY!

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  59. Savannah

    I wish I had a potential meter!! 😃

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  60. Sebastian

    Hello from Miami, FL

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  61. Ramiel

    Acellus teaches me something new everyday.

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  62. Natalie

    Thank you for taking the time in producing this scince show – very cool!!!!

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  63. Hannah

    thank you for your time, This was fun! Turning basically useless metal into a hydrogen source is really sick!

    Reply
  64. Herman

    I hope the cancer cure will work.

    Reply
  65. Farida

    The graduation plan makes doing school very reassuring!

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  66. Zachary

    Hello from South Dakota !!! love science

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  67. Samuel

    What a great segment from the two cowboys

    Reply
  68. Shayla

    Hi from Germany!!

    Reply
  69. Summer

    Dear Dr Billings, I liked everything in today’s Science Live. I liked your blue and red suit.

    Reply
  70. Shilo

    Thank you Science Live!

    Reply
  71. Ondine

    Thank you so much for this week’s video I really enjoyed it and I enjoyed learning about circuits I can’t wait to see what is next

    Reply
  72. Ondine

    Thank you so much for this week’s video I really enjoyed it and R51 was really funny and I enjoyed learning about circuits

    Reply
  73. Jaylin

    I loved the cowboys.

    Reply
  74. Auden

    It’s cool that scientists made a better treatment for cancer that will be used somewhat soon

    Reply
  75. Evie

    I loved the gallium idea!

    Reply
  76. Seamus

    Wow! These episodes are so entertaining.

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  77. Kids

    When are we gonna find the real cure to cancer????

    Reply
  78. Meghan

    I love science live!!

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  79. Elysia

    What is the smallest rocket space X have created?

    Reply
  80. Viachaslau

    It’s fascinating to see how a complex operation like division can be handled by a dedicated integrated circuit.

    Reply
  81. Andrei

    Great video! The way you broke down the logic for the divide-by-3 circuit was incredibly clear.

    Reply
  82. Griffin

    I love the science live videos I have learned so much already

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  83. Olivia

    Dear Dr Billings. I loved this week’s Science Live because it was fascinating to learn about sound and rockets.

    Reply
  84. Dalylah

    I love watching these videos, they are so informative!

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  85. Lucinda

    i love science live it teach me new things!

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  86. Jamysin

    Love from South Dakota! Appreciate the videos as always!

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  87. Sam

    hi from louisiana

    Reply
  88. Elisandra

    This episode helped me gain more understanding of the various integrated circuits and their different roles, and also exactly how the circuit the Proteges built works; and I find these simple circuits very interesting.

    Reply
  89. Raluca

    Gallium looks like a very fun metal to play with.

    Reply
  90. Blake

    This Science Live was awesome! I loved the part about Gallium!

    Reply
  91. Shaun

    Todays Science Live was interesting.

    Reply
  92. Kyran

    I’ve been wondering since last week how they would divide by a number other than 2 and 4, this explains a lot

    Reply
  93. Bentley

    R51 is the best!!!!

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  94. Logan

    Love science Live!!!

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  95. Joshua

    science live is the best

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  96. Jack

    I have watched a rocket launch in Florida.

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  97. Jacob

    The brain is so complex and so amazing to me. Watching from South Carolina

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  98. Nathalia

    I always look forward to watching Caleb and David there so funny.

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  100. Luke

    Science Live is my favorite part of Acellus!

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  102. Princess

    The gallium idea is so interesting!!!!

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  103. Princess

    This video is so eye opening and intriguing I love my so much for signing me up for accelus

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  104. Wade

    Hello from Kansas. First time posting

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  105. Timothy

    Wonderful Science Live!

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  106. Hayden

    the gallium spoon was cool

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  107. Noah

    this science live was awesome cant wait for the next one !

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  108. Roarke

    Science live was very interesting.

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  109. Amal

    I had been looking forward to this lesson, and I love learning from Acellus. It makes me feel confident and strong.

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  110. Ethan

    I was really intrigued by the metal that you can melt in you hands by rubbing it against your hand it’s weird that a metal melts just above room temperature!

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  111. Roman

    Science Live is the best and has taught me so much!!

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  112. Micah

    Another great Science Live!

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  113. Yvette

    My favorite episode so far!

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  114. Juan-carlos

    I ❤️ science live 😊😊😊😊😊😊

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  115. Safia

    Comment I love the parts where how to study with Acellus gold and dr. Roger Billings comes in. For all the students out there I think you should keep watching science live and good luck on your science fair projects.❤️☺️

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  116. Anthony

    This is so interesting thank you for all of the knowledge!!!

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  117. Pham

    I love the lesson about Mr. Alan Blumlein!

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  118. Cameron

    Where do they find gallium

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  119. Serenity

    I like the gallium idea.

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  120. Maria

    love science live!

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  121. Aeden

    This was an awesome Science Live!!

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  122. Lejeania

    This was an awesome video. From Virginia

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  123. Jadeyn

    thank you for another great video!

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  124. Qiana

    Better way to record and play sound.

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  125. Gwyneth

    Hello from CT! Thank you for the science live!

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  126. Danne

    🤩🤩🤩

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  127. Lilia

    How many students get into ivy league colleges after graduating Acellus?

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  128. Rosemarie

    I wonder what the scanner would say if it scanned me.

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  129. Caleb

    I love science its so cool

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  130. Simona

    Now it makes sense how they have melting spoons in the movies.

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  131. Natalie

    Science is a great subject to learn

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  132. Kaitlyn

    Love getting to learn more every live! the fact about gallium is very impressive.

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  133. Gabriella

    I love science live

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  134. Zakariyya

    Thank you for the class, that’s interesting about how we can tell direction from our ears. I never really noticed or thought about it until now.

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  135. Ariana

    I learned from the gallium idea. It’s very smart and thought out.

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  136. Klaus

    Gallium was great idea

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  137. Simona

    Seeing a gallium spoon melt makes me wish I could morph, too.

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  138. Sofia

    I really enjoyed this video

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  139. Oliver

    Always looking forward to these

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  140. Mary

    The brain is so cool! I’ve learned so much from this science live!

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  141. Charlie

    learn something very cool every week

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  142. Kannon

    Love these lives day 6 of watching❤️

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  143. Kylie

    Great jobs guys so entertaining!!!

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  144. Anais

    I heard gallium and was immediately transported back to my childhood. Some youtubers I used to watch would make things out of gallium like spoons like we saw, combs, forks and even swords. So cool to see!!!

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  145. Keenan

    Science Live!!!!! From GA

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  146. Xander

    science live is always so interesting

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  147. Rocco

    Love theses videos I do the science project for them so cool.

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  148. Lorenzo

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  149. Sebastian

    I am glad he invited the stereo system Tania’s is the best

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  150. Matthew

    Hello I really enjoyed these science videos.

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  151. Kiefer

    I like how they did the math.

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  152. Jack

    Love the western segment

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  153. Nathan

    this would look so cool in person!

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  154. Nickolas

    This episode was so good, I learned so much!

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  155. Jax

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  156. Sophia

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  157. Dustin

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  158. Savannah

    Hi form North Carolina!

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  159. Hayden

    I would love to go see SpaceX Starship in person.

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  160. Clarissa

    Hi from Japan!

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  161. Noah

    I didn’t know what a resister was used for, so this video helped me. I also liked learning about sounds and how our ears work.

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  162. Jaydelyne

    The brain is really cool and learning about how metal could melt in your hands

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  163. Nathaniel

    I didn’t know anything about Gallium until now, but watching this has made me very interested!

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  164. Jacob

    Gallium is very interesting

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  165. Colton

    I always look forward to hearing what Tobias has to share!

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  166. Easton

    This weeks science live is super interesting, really love learning science.

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  167. Mauricio

    Loved it,the parts of the end always make me laugh!! cannot wait for next week episode!!

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  168. Ava

    great episode! and thanks Alan B!!

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  169. Marjorie

    Hello, from New York!

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  170. Chase

    I loved the gallium idea! An almost useless metal turned into a hydrogen source?! Impressive.

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  171. Ashton

    This was an amazing video.

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  172. Jayden

    i love science!!

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  173. Daisy

    R51 is so funny 😂

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  174. Kendra

    I thought that gallium part was interesting.

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  175. Octavian-yarik

    It was very interesting .The video is very clever and interesting.

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