Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

Take a mind-blowing journey through human history, told through six iconic objects that modern people take for granted, and see how science, invention and technology built on one another to change everything.

Documentary

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

Documentary

Created By
First Aired on: Apr 21, 2019
Popularity: 2.827: 3 votes
Networks: (US)
(GB)
Production: Bigger Bang (GB)BBC TV (GB)
Status: Ended: Show Ended

Seasons & episodes

Total 1 seasons, 6 episodes

Season 1

Aired 6 years ago

6 Episodes

Episode 1The Telescope60 min
Meet the brilliant minds throughout history, from Galileo to Edwin Hubble, responsible for creating the telescope. Today, their invention allows humanity to reach the furthest limits of seeing 13 billion light-years out.
Episode 2The Airplane60 min
Take to the sky with the dreamers whose work gave humans the ability to fly. From Leonardo da Vinci's "flying machines" to the modern commercial plane, without these inventions, we may have never left the ground.
Episode 3The Robot60 min
Learn how robots were first conceptualized in ancient Rome and see how their use has evolved over the centuries, from the calculator to the Roomba. Then, take a sneak peek at what future robots will be able to do.
Episode 4The Car60 min
Go for a ride through the 9,000-year history of the car, from its roots in dogsleds to Henry Ford's affordable and assembly line-built Model T, and meet the scientists working on the next generation of self-driving automobiles.
Episode 5The Rocket60 min
Learn the explosive history of the rocket, from its origin in ancient China, to its use as a weapon of war, to how adding hydrogen allowed it to carry astronauts all the way to the moon.