This blend of interviews and computer animated “what ifs” takes place on Darwin IV, a planet 6.5 light years from Earth, with 2 suns and 60% of Earth’s gravity. Having identified Darwin as a world that could support life, Earth sends a pilot mission consisting of the Mothership Von Braun and three probes: Balboa, Da Vinci, and Newton. This robotic fleet is responsible for finding and assessing any life forms on Darwin IV. Initially, the expectation is to find microscopic [...]
“Death in the Morning” examines the standardization of precious metal with the touchstone in the ancient world. This innovation stimulated trade from Greece to Persia, ultimately causing the construction of a huge commercial center and library at Alexandria which included Ptolemy’s star tables. This wealth of astronomical knowledge aided navigators 14 centuries later after the development of lateen sails and sternpost rudders. Mariners discovered that the compass’s magnetized needle did not actually point directly north. Investigations into the nature of [...]
The debut episode of James Burke’s 1978 series for the BBC, Connections, “The Trigger Effect” offers an all-too-relevant apocalyptic thought-experiment, a warning about our over-reliance on vast technological networks whose inter-dependence we can scarcely grasp. This episode details the world’s present dependence on complex technological networks through a detailed narrative of New York City and the power blackout of 1965. Agricultural technology is traced to its origins in ancient Egypt and the invention of the plow. The segment ends in [...]
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