One of the most important inventions of the 20th century was the transistor.

Prior to the transistor, electronic devices were bulky and dependent upon vacuum tubes.

Vacuum tubes were large, fragile, power-hungry, and prone to failure.

The transistor not only replaced the vacuum tube in most applications, but also enabled the miniaturization

and reliability required for modern electronics, including computers, phones, and even spacecraft.

Learn more about transistors, how they work, and how they were invented on this episode

of Everything Everywhere Daily.

Music of everything everywhere daily.

This episode is sponsored by American Scandal.

History not only shapes us, but it also helps us understand the present.

The American Scandal podcast brings to life some of the biggest controversies in U.S. history and takes you deep into the heart of America's dark side, and we'll leave you wondering,

how did this happen, and what can we learn?

The latest season, Ruby Ridge Standoff, explores an event that sowed the seeds for the rise of modern radicalism.

In 1992,

in a remote corner of Idaho, federal law enforcement agents surrounded a small cabin. Their target,

Randy Weaver, a survivalist living off the grid to wade out the apocalypse. He was wanted on a simple weapons charge, but the situation escalated into a tragedy and deadly standoff.

Ruby Ridge has since become a rallying crime for those opposed to government overreach and

has fueled decades of distrust and violent anti-government sentiment. Follow American Scandal

on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes of American

Scandals' Ruby Ridge standoff early and ad-free right now on Wondery Plus.

The new Big Arch has arrived at McDonald's.

A burger's so iconic.

...