The place electronics was invented

[Cbdb2]

An interesting video on the history of bell labs. How one commercial business invented most of the electronics of the last 100 year, starting with audio. Nine Nobel prizes in physics, including the only double winner.

 

[mhardy6647]

I mean -- thermionic diodes and (more to the point) triodes... not invented by Bell Labs.

 

[fpitas]

I mean -- thermionic diodes and (more to the point) triodes... not invented by Bell Labs.

Those new-fangled "transistors" were a flash in the pan, anyways!

 

[mhardy6647]

Those new-fangled "transistors" were a flash in the pan, anyways!

You hardly ever see any of 'em nowadays.

 

[fpitas]

You hardly ever see any of 'em nowadays.

As it happens, I see a lot. But they are getting more rare because of ICs.

 

[mhardy6647]

As it happens, I see a lot. But they are getting more rare because of ICs.

most of 'em anymore are teeny-weeny and nigh-on invisible., I'm not even sure they're really there...

 

[fpitas]

most of 'em anymore are teeny-weeny and nigh-on invisible., I'm not even sure they're really there...

They've been approaching the theoretical limit on size for a while in digital ICs. The ones I use have giant die, maybe 10 mils on a side.

 

[Cbdb2]

I mean -- thermionic diodes and (more to the point) triodes... not invented by Bell Labs.

But not very useful till HS Black at Bell came up with negative feedback.

 

[fpitas]

But not very useful till HS Black at Bell came up with negative feedback.

But from reading the internet, we all know that negative feedback is undistilled evil.

/

 

[egellings]

You hardly ever see any of 'em nowadays.

Yeah, they're all too tiny to see now.

 

[fpitas]

Yeah, they're all too tiny to see now.

Let alone solder. Even with a microscope you have to be really careful.