Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
This is the amazing story of how humans changed the world forever, told through six iconic inventions that we take for granted: the telescope, the airplane, the robot, the car, the rocket, and the smartphone. These are the secrets of how we got to our modern world, told in an accessible, exciting format with broad appeal. Each invention is the culmination of a long-held human dream - to explore, to communicate, or to find our place in the universe. They are familiar, yet hidden within them are thousands of years of thought, struggle, sacrifice, determination, and insight. Each one is packed with incredible and often little-known stories. There are surprising accidents, colorful characters, and moments of joy or despair stretching back in time, often to the beginning of human civilization itself. The shows are littered with visionaries - people with the passion that drove them to risk death, poverty, or ridicule. Each, whether knowingly or not, advanced our species' progression to where we are now, often at considerable cost to themselves. The result is a mind-blowing science-led journey through human history, full of unintended consequences and incredible connections. It reveals how science, invention, and technology built on one another to change everything - a process that continues to this very day.
- 2019-2019
- 1 season
- PBS
- Documentary
This is the amazing story of how humans changed the world forever, told through six iconic inventions that we take for granted: the telescope, the airplane, the robot, the car, the rocket, and the smartphone. These are the secrets of how we got to our modern world, told in an accessible, exciting format with broad appeal. Each invention is the culmination of a long-held human dream - to explore, to communicate, or to find our place in the universe. They are familiar, yet hidden within them are thousands of years of thought, struggle, sacrifice, determination, and insight. Each one is packed with incredible and often little-known stories. There are surprising accidents, colorful characters, and moments of joy or despair stretching back in time, often to the beginning of human civilization itself. The shows are littered with visionaries - people with the passion that drove them to risk death, poverty, or ridicule. Each, whether knowingly or not, advanced our species' progression to where we are now, often at considerable cost to themselves. The result is a mind-blowing science-led journey through human history, full of unintended consequences and incredible connections. It reveals how science, invention, and technology built on one another to change everything - a process that continues to this very day.
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2019
Episode 1
The Telescope
Wed, Apr 17, 2019 54 mins
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 2
The Airplane
Wed, Apr 24, 2019 54 mins
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 3
The Robot
Wed, May 1, 2019 54 mins
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 4
The Car
Wed, May 8, 2019 54 mins
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 5
The Rocket
Wed, May 15, 2019 54 mins
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.
Episode 6
The Smartphone
Wed, May 22, 2019 54 mins
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.
