Humans have always dreamed big, but for most of our existence, imagination outstripped technology. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Engineering & Architecture, Bill Nye shows how inventions in materials, tools, and other technologies have gradually allowed us to build bigger, taller, stronger, and longer structures. From canals and dams to tunnels and towers, this is the story of how we have reshaped our environment to suit our needs.

The words you are reading are made possible by one of the earliest inventions—the alphabet. Since its emergence, a number of technological advancements have enabled humans to use both written and spoken language to communicate faster, farther, and with more people than ever before. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Communication, Bill Nye retraces the innovations that allow us to contact almost anyone anywhere at any time

There are many ways to get around, but they weren’t invented overnight. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Transportation, Bill Nye travels the long and winding road through the technology and history of transportation. From peddling and paddling to planes and maglev trains, this high-speed journey takes us from prehistory to the present. It’s about how we got here. Literally.

Everything around us is made out of some kind of material, and there are many different types—metals, woods, and plastics—and many varieties of each. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: The Science of Materials, Bill Nye shares the history and technology of some of the most common materials we encounter. Many are the building blocks of our homes, buildings, cars, toys, and furniture. Without them, our lives would be significantly different.

Nothing happens without energy. It powers every machine on Earth and is essential for virtually every activity. Civilization would be impossible without it. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Energy, Bill Nye leads us on an electrifying journey to the sources of energy and the technology that enables us to tap into it and distribute it around the world.

Modern homes are filled with conveniences often taken for granted. But many of these appliances and creature comforts took years to grow into the forms we find so familiar today. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Scientific Advances in Our Homes, Bill Nye explains the technology of the house and home. From plumbing and paints to microwave ovens and frozen foods, these advances have made life as we know it easier to manage

Money does not make the world go round, but it is the foundation of its economy. It is the medium that enables businesses and individuals to exchange their products and services. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Math, Business, & Industry, Bill Nye reveals the many inventions and innovations—from coins to credit cards and ATM machines to robots—that have contributed to the development of modern commerce.

Humans are naturally curious. That curiosity has drawn us to new lands and it has prompted us to devise new ways to explore our planet and beyond. Over the millennia, we have invented new devices—x-ray machines, telescopes, and submarines—that let us look inward, outward, and underneath. In Greatest Inventions With Bill Nye: Exploration From Sea to Space, Bill Nye recounts the creation of technologies that let us see our world and ourselves better.