Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

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

2019 HD 60min TV-14 United Kingdom English

Jim Al-Khalili

Documentary History

flight technology robot invention telescope rocket

S1E1 - The Telescope 2019-04-21

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.

S1E2 - The Airplane 2019-04-28

Take to the sky with the dreamers whose work gave humans the ability to fly. From Leonardo da Vincis "flying machines" to the modern commercial plane, without these inventions, we may have never left the ground.

S1E3 - The Robot 2019-05-05

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.

S1E4 - The Car 2019-05-12

Go for a ride through the 9,000-year history of the car, from its roots in dogsleds to Henry Fords affordable and assembly line-built Model T, and meet the scientists working on the next generation of self-driving automobiles.

S1E5 - The Rocket 2019-05-19

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.

S1E6 - The Smartphone 2019-05-26

Dial in to the fascinating history of the smartphone, from its roots in Morse Code to 2007, when Apple unveiled the first-ever iPhone. Plus, see how the next generation of smartphones will allow us to communicate through them just by thinking.

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