The Geiger-Muller tube is a simple radiation detector that was introduced in 1928 and is still used today. It consists of a metal cylinder with a thin window at one end and a wire running through the center. Ionizing radiation entering through the window ionizes the gas inside, creating a pulse that is detected. The walls are usually metal coated with a conductive material, and the window is made of mica to allow radiation to enter. It is used with a scaler to detect and count different types of radiation such as alpha, beta, and gamma rays.