The transistor turns 65, awaits AARP card

Without the transistor our modern world would not be possible. It is, arguably, the most important scientific advance of the 20th century and this weekend it officially enters its golden years. 65 years ago William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain (above) worked together to create the world's first point-contact transistor, a direct precursor to the electronic component that powers every thing from radios and microwaves, to super computers and smartphones. The first successful experime...