Transistors

Without transistors, modern electronic devices would not exist. From cell phones and computers to televisions and cars, transistors are a crucial part of modern life. Without them, the most advanced piece of technology would resemble something closer to a lightbulb rather than an IBM supercomputer. But what is a transistor? Basically, it is a miniaturized switch, capable of turning an electrical current on or off. Various types of primitive transistors were used throughout the 20th century, but the modern transistor is usually credited as being created in 1947 by a group of American engineers working for Bell Laboratories.

By 1954 transistor technology was advanced enough to be sold in a variety of commercial products, the most significant of which were portable radios. Small and durable enough to be used just about anywhere a person wanted to go, it sparked a technological revolution that spread to all areas of life in the coming decades.

By the 1960s transistor technology made another giant leap forward with the development of the “integrated circuit,” known commonly as the microchip. This made the transistor lighter, more powerful, and durable enough so that NASA became interested in using this technology in the Apollo lunar module guidance computer that landed on the moon in 1969. By the early 1970s a variety of companies developed increasingly powerful microchips allowing for a wide range of uses. These machines tended to be large and very expensive and were used mostly by businesses, which usually made it impossible for individuals to buy.

However, computers doubled in speed roughly every 18 months, making them smaller and more powerful until personal computers became possible by the late 1970s. Companies like Apple, Tandy, and Atari started producing computers for home use. By the 1980s personal computers were becoming commonplace along with the first cell phones and dedicated gaming consoles. Today, our modern world would cease to function in an instant without transistors.