Inventions That Changed the World

Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear legend, hosts this BBC series about some of the most important inventions that completely reshaped our world.

The five episodes in this playlist talk about the gun, the computer, the jet engine, the telephone, and the television.

Beginning with the gun, Jeremy reveals that successful attempts to create ever more lethal weapons have not only shaped the world but led directly or indirectly to all of the following: the industrial revolution; the production line; cowboy films; street lighting; the car exhaust pipe and the development of trauma medicine.

Other inventions covered in the series include: The computer, without which we couldn’t fly planes, drive cars or even run our dishwashers;

The jet which plays a key part in our weather, mass tourism and outbreaks like SARS;

The telephone which was invented by mistake by a man trying to make a humming telegraph. The telephone has not only changed the way we do business but also led to the development of the Internet;

The television which was invented by two men with wildly different visions: John Logie Baird, a Scotsman, and a 14-year old American Mormon, Philo T Farnsworth, both died unrewarded but their invention, Jeremy reveals, helped win the Battle of Britain.

Throughout the series Jeremy gives his own passionate and witty take on some of the inventions and inventors that he believes have helped change the course of history.

Lots to watch, but really interesting to think about the effects single inventions have had on our entire planet and way of life.

8.5/10

EMBEDDED: