The series covers the history of current scientific "breakthroughs" in science, including aviation, fighting pandemics, robotics, and aging. A new PBS series, Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed the World, hosted by Patrick Stewart began airing in 2019 with six episodes, covering "The Telescope", "The Airplane", "The Robot", "The Smartphone", "The Rocket", and "The Car". Another similar series, Scientific American Frontiers, had previously aired on PBS from 1990 to 2005.