Lookie at what I’ve found! James Burke’s Knowledge Web Project!
Also, I really nifty fan site. Looks like loads of fun.
Neat site.
Connections was cool, but I still think his best work was The Day the Univers Changed.
Thanks! Tuckerfan
I heard James Burke speak a couple years ago. He mentioned this Knowledge Web Project, but this is the first time I have seen the website.
Anyone who is not familiar with James Burke’s Connections or The Day the Universe Changed would be well advised to check them out. Burke is one of the great heroes in the fight against ignorance.
Okay, sometimes his links the chains are stretched, but I have learned a lot.
The second episode of The Day the Universe Changed In the Light of the Above is about the transmission of ancient classical knowledge through the then “superior” Islamic culture into medieval European culture makes modern Western culture and thought what it is today.
Upon preview, I agree with Spiritus Mundi about TDTUC being better that the Connections franchise.
I watch Connections when I happen to see that it’s on, but I haven’t seen it recently. Personally, I prefer The Day the Universe Changed. Just going on memory, I seem to remember it being a little more coherent than Connections.
In the UK there’s a fairly-famous car writer/presenter called Jeremy Clarkson - who is often cited as the originator of the ‘hanging pause’ - he certainly uses it a lot anyway!
BUT
Anyone who’s watched James Burke ina ction will know he got there first by some margin…
You know the sort of thing…
This reaction was going to be big <5 sec pause> VERY big…
JP
James Burke rules! Every science teacher should be FORCED to watch all of the Connection and The Day The Universe Changed, just to get a feel for how exciting science and technology can be.
Put me down for Connections over TDTUC. The writing seemed a lot sharper and, well, there was just a tinge of sappiness to some of TDTUC.
Thanks for the further info Copa. I should know better than to just say “Gutenberg’s printing press.” One has to include the use of standardized, interchangable , and indiviual letter typefaces.
As far as ‘right man at the right time’ goes, there is the theory that the Black Death in the previous century had made paper more available. The best printing in the world is pretty well useless without a relatively cheap source of print media. Papermaking had increased in the 14th century, in part, because the clothes of the dead were used to make linen paper.
Oops, the above post was supposed to be in a GD thread. Although it is material I learned from Burke.
I was a fairly typical undergraduate goof-off, and wound up with a liberal arts degree that was pretty near useless as far as getting a job was concerned. After graduation, I spent about six months job-hunting and generally hanging about.
Connections was at that time on it’s first run on PBS, and I was following the show with some interest. If you recall the series, the final episode sort of asked the question “Where do we go from here?”, and laid out a number of possible strategies. The conclusion was that, no matter which strategy you chose, if you didn’t keep moving forward, history would pass you by.
I found this episode spoke quite directly to me, recognized that I was not moving forward and determined to do something about it. The next day, I applied to graduate school.
I owe something of my subsequent personal and professional success to James Burke’s getting me off my butt. I am forever in his debt.
Anything by James Burke whups @ss on most everything else television has to offer.
I’ve always thought of him as one of the ultimate dinner guests.
Imagine having him, David Attenborough, Arthur C. Clarke and David Brin over for din-dins? I could die happy before afters.
Nothing to add, just a fan checking in. I own the Connections companion book. Thanks for the links, Tuckerfan.
I saw James Burke speak at the University of Minnesota last year and he is an EXCELLENT speaker. He showed an early “draft” of what the Knowledge Web is meant to look like. His long-term vision was to have an all-encompasing history of the entire world including all authors/inventors/statesmen,etc with input from researchers from all corners of the globe so that it won’t just be a Western view of history.
Damn Swede! I would have loved to see him speak!! (I’m in St Paul too).
James is one of the coolest people around!
Zenster- what a great thought, yes, Mr. Burke can have dinner with me anytime!!
I’m one of thouse that owns the companion book to TDTUC, and I agree, while I loved Connections (the hour longs were better), TDTUC was so enlightening!
I saw him speak at Central Michigan University. It was sweet. I disagreed with his central thesis, but it took me about a month to figure out why. Still, it was really cool. Catch him if you get the chance.
What a coincidence. I am just rereading the Connections companion book.
Loved both series but have seen connections more often.
Our nearby PBS store has the set on VHS (or used to a year or two ago) but the price tag is just a little higher than I’m going to spend.
Say, did you Burke fans know that:
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There were also two additional series of Connections on The Learning Channel a few years back
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That he wrote a Connections-esque column in Scientific American for about a year (my favorite part of the issue then)
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He’s issued at least two more Connections-like books, The Knowledge Web and The Pinball Effect?
…and I own the “The Day the Universe Changed” companion book and just re-read it. Great writing. Love that guy. Really turned me on to science. I learned many wonderful ways to start a conversation from his series.
“Did you know that if it wasn’t for the Napoleonic wars we would not have Campbell’s soup as we know it?”
One more thing:
Burke himself reads the text for the audiocasette versions of Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. He talks so rapidly that it feels as if you’re getting a lot for your money.
Well I always thought that some of the connections in Connections were a bit, shall we say, tenuous. And others just moved you to think “So… ?” Sure the connection was there, but it didn’t have any real significance other than just coincidence.
It was an informative series, but let’s face it, the whole connections thing was often just a weak ploy to hang some interesting facts together. So the overall result just irritated me, I’m afraid.
Noooooo! I can’t get to the page!
I’m a HUGE connections fan (although i think the later series sorta suffered. They stretched a bit too far for said connections. But the first stuff? Science and History colide and awsome stories ensue!)