Show cover for Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World

The Best Episodes of Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World Season 1

Every episode of Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World Season 1!

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...
Genre:Documentary
Networks:PBSBBC Four

Season 1 Ratings Summary

"The Telescope" is the best rated episode of "Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World" season 1. It scored 8.1/10 based on 38 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 4/21/2019. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "The Airplane".

  • The Telescope
    8.1/1038 votes

    #1 - The Telescope

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 4/21/2019

    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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Airplane
    8.2/1036 votes

    #2 - The Airplane

    Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 4/28/2019

    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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Robot
    7.7/1034 votes

    #3 - The Robot

    Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 5/5/2019

    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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Car
    8.2/1038 votes

    #4 - The Car

    Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 5/12/2019

    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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Rocket
    8.1/1037 votes

    #5 - The Rocket

    Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 5/19/2019

    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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A

  • The Smartphone
    7.9/1037 votes

    #6 - The Smartphone

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 5/26/2019

    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.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A