Last Burn of the Tube Vacuum tubes have always been a thing of mysterious fascination for me, especially when I was a kid. They glowed behind the TV and in the radio. A mysterious gem of technology, they have been the cornor stone of much of our modern technology. The vacuum tube help make the space age possible, sound into films, wireless communication. Sadly they have given way to the transistor. But they are making a small comback with audio enthusiasts. Here, one tube still holds it's light. The others are burned out or discarded. Inexpensive and nameless transistors litter the ground.