Season 1: 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 built on one another to change everything.

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
Dial in to the fascinating history of the smartphone.
WTTW Passport
This video is currently available with WTTW Passport.
The Smartphone

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
Blast off into history to see how rockets originated not in the sky, but in a cave.
WTTW Passport
This video is currently available with WTTW Passport.
The Rocket

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
Go for a ride through the 9,000-year history of the ultimate freedom machine: the car.
WTTW Passport
This video is currently available with WTTW Passport.
The Car

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
Check out the history of robots and learn how they are becoming a part of everyday life.
WTTW Passport
This video is currently available with WTTW Passport.
The Robot

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
Take to the sky with the dreamers whose work gave humans the ability to fly.
WTTW Passport
This video is currently available with WTTW Passport.
The Airplane

Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World
Look back in time to see how humans invented the telescope.
WTTW Passport
This video is currently available with WTTW Passport.