HISTORY OF THE TRANSISTOR
COMPETITION IS GOOD FOR THE MARKET PLACE, THE THEORY GOES.  WE'RE CERTAINLY
ALWAYS SEEING IT IN ACTION WITH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY--ONE COMPANY COMES
OUT WITH A NEW COMPUTER PART AND ANOTHER COMPANY QUICKLY CREATES A BETTER
ONE.  WELL, THE SAME THING WAS HAPPENING 50 YEARS AGO DURING THE INVENTION OF
ONE OF THE COMPUTER'S KEY COMPONENTS--THE TRANSISTOR. 

RIORDAN:The fact that you can miniaturize a transistor so much is the reason you and I
can afford to own a very powerful computer and put in on our desk.

THE TRANSISTOR WAS INVENTED IN DECEMBER OF 1947 AT BELL LABS SAYS PHYSICIST
MICHAEL RIORDAN.  HE IS THE COAUTHOR OF THE BOOK CRYSTAL FIRE WHICH DESCRIBES
THE HISTORY OF THAT INVENTION.  AT THAT TIME THE PHONE SYSTEM--AS WELL AS
COMPUTERS AND TELEVISION SETS--ALL USED A SERIES OF VACCUUM TUBES TO CONTROL
ELECTRICAL SIGNALS.  BUT BELL LABS WANTED SOMETHING MUCH SMALLER.  ON
DECEMBER 16, PHYSICISTS JOHN BARDEEN AND WILLIAM BRATTAIN STUCK TWO METAL
POINTS INTO A CHIP OF GERMANIUM AND FOUND (sfx: appropriate under all here) THAT
THE ELECTRIC SIGNAL THAT CAME OUT WAS BIGGER THAN THE SIGNAL THEY SEND IN.  AND
UNLIKE A METAL WIRE, 

RIORDAN: Germanium just has a trickle of electrons going through it . . and it turns out
that that trickle is much easier to manipulate.

THUS THE FIRST TRANSISTOR WAS BORN.  BUT BARDEEN AND BRATTAIN WORKED UNDER
WILLIAM SHOCKLEY.

RIORDAN: Shockley . . . felt that he had been scooped by his own employees. . .there
was a real competition. . . so he very rapidly went to work and spent most of his free time
during the next month coming up with a better transistor.

AND THANKS TO A LITTLE COMPETITION, ALL THREE MEN LATER WON A NOBEL PRIZE FOR
THEIR INVENTION.