Connections is a ten-episode documentary television series created, written and presented by science historian James Burke. The series was produced and directed by Mick Jackson of the BBC Science & Features Department and first aired in 1978 (UK) and 1979 (USA). It took an interdisciplinary approach to the history of science and invention and demonstrated how various discoveries, scientific achievements, and historical world events were built from one another successively in an interconnected way to bring about particular aspects of modern technology. The series was noted for Burke’s crisp and enthusiastic presentation (and dry humour), historical reenactments, and intricate working models.
The popular success of the series led to the production of The Day the Universe Changed, a similar program but showing a more linear history of several important scientific developments. Years later the success in syndication led to two sequels, Connections² (1994) and Connections³ (1997), both for TLC. In 2004, KCSM-TV produced a program called Re-Connections, consisting of an interview of Burke and highlights of the original series, for the 25th anniversary of the first broadcast in the USA on PBS
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January 22, 2012 / Connections, Docs / Educational
“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 [...]
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January 22, 2012 / Connections, Docs / Educational
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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