Enormous dimensions, complicated military calculations, and thousands of vacuum tubes—this was the early supercomputer.

When we mention vacuum technology, it’s not impossible that many of you will instantly turn your minds to vacuum tubes ... of [Evangelista Torricelli] on mercury barometers in the 17th century ...

A vacuum tube is just that: a glass tube surrounding a vacuum (an area from which all gases have been removed). What makes it interesting is that when electrical contacts are put on the ends ...

A light source consisting of a long glass tube containing mercury in a partial vacuum. Available in many lengths and several diameters, the tube is lined with a fluorescent phosphor. When the ...

which can’t really be classified as vacuum tubes since they’re filled with various gasses. Thyratrons are tubes that use ionized gas – mercury vapor in this case – to conduct large currents.