Great Inventions

We live in a world that our ancestors would barely recognize. Around the globe, landscapes are re-formed, hostile environments tamed at speeds, depths and heights would leave our forebearers breathless.

We live in a world that our ancestors would barely recognize. Around the globe, landscapes are re-formed, hostile environments tamed at speeds, depths and heights would leave our forebearers breathless.

A selection of scientists, historians, and archive footage describe how this transformative machine came to be, its impact our lives.

We live in a world that our ancestors would barely recognize. Around the globe, landscapes are re-formed, hostile environments tamed at speeds, depths and heights would leave our forebearers breathless.

How X-rays transformed our understanding of this world and beyond.

From Cold War beginnings to today's communications, few inventions have impacted our lives as much as satellites.

We look at the advent of jets in the 1960s, the jumbo jet and mass travel in the 1970s, and the development of jet engines by both sides in the Cold War.

Experts from the worlds of TV, engineering, medicine and psychology the thrilling origin story of computer games and their impact on the world.

Few places have changed so much through ingenious inventions and modern technology as harbours. But what has driven this change and what comes next?

Tin Cans: Their invention has revolutionized the supply of food.

As vehicles get faster, humans are being exposed to increasingly deadly forces, but one invention is fighting for our safety, the crash test dummy.

Working away behind the scenes, our planet has been transformed by industrial robots.

Cruise ships are a huge modern industry, worth billions and enjoyed by millions.

Concrete is found everywhere, without it our world wouldn't exist!

This is the past, present and future of the refrigerator.

The Great Inventions episode 'Retaining Dams' deals with giants built by humans.

A documentary about the fantastic invention history of prosthetics.

From a dull pearl to a high-tech material. A historical documentary about glass.

Using archive and expert interviews this episode of Great Inventions explores the fascinating evolution of sewers and the flush toilet