75th Anniversary of Transistors, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Planes, Parkinsons Research w/ Ralph Bond

Story 1: Today marks the 75th anniversary of the first successful test of the transistor<br /><ul><li>On this day, December 16, in 1947, scientists at Bell Labs conducted the first successful test of their semiconductor amplifier, the transistor.</li></ul><ul><li>Over time, the transistor totally revolutionized the field of electronics, and paved the way for all the electronic devices in our lives today.</li></ul><ul><li>As one of the most important building blocks of modern electronics, many historians contend it stands as one of the most important scientific inventions in world history.</li></ul><ul><li>But first, what is a <a href="https://www.escomponents.com/blog/2019/7/25/transistors-what-are-they" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transistor</a>?</li></ul><ul><li>In the most fundamental terms, a <a href="https://www.escomponents.com/blog/2019/7/25/transistors-what-are-they" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transistor</a> is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiconductor_device" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">semiconductor device</a> used to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_amplifier" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amplify</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_switch" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">switch</a> electrical signals and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_power" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">power</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>Another definition is a transistor is a semiconductor device for amplifying, controlling, and generating electrical signals. Transistors are the active components of integrated circuits, or “microchips,” which often contain billions of these minuscule devices etched into their shiny surfaces.</li></ul><ul><li>In its role as a switch, the transistor either prevents or allows current to flow through.</li></ul><ul><li>Here’s what motivated the researchers at Bell Labs to create the transistor 75 years ago:</li></ul><ul><li>An amazing team of scientists at Bell Labs,