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- Written and presented by James Burke
- Directed by Mick Jackson
- Episode length: 50 minutes
- First aired in 1978
- Network: BBC
- Shot at over 150 locations in 19 countriesPalmers Guide: Connections DVD Information
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Science historian James Burke’s ten part series Connections traces the progression of technology from ancient to modern times. According to Burke, every invention comes from putting the right pieces of already available technology together to build something new. By tracing the history of technology through a series of "triggers," each one of which sets off the next, Burke demonstrates how technology is an interconnected web and how one seemingly unrelated innovation leads to another.
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Names and Events in Part One
- @1:00: The punch card led to the Computer which now runs modern society and everything.
- @1:10: Computers have perfect memories, James Burke explains how only with computers can you accurately predict the future, and that is powerful.
- @3:30: Inside a Planetarium and demonstrates the big bang theory.
- @4:24: The first time humans began to see into the future was 3000 years ago by looking at the Moon
- @5:00: The more they looked the moon the more they studied the stars and that lead to understanding the constellations.
- @6:11: By the 2nd Century Astronomers like the Greek Ptolemy were turning out details maps of the skies.
- @6:41: Astronomers really got peoples attention once they were able to predict eclipses.
- @6:53: By the Middle Ages Eastern civilization thought they had a clear idea of what the universe looked like, with the earth at the center and the other planets and constellations circling around us.
Names and Events in Part Two
- @1:00: The Arabs thrived off knowledge and collected all of it.
- @1:30: Arabs brought knowledge the West and the first medical school was set up in 11th Century Italy
- @2:38: The idea of "curing" wounds and diseases became quite a popular area of study.
- @2:50: The crusades unearthed a wealth of knowledge as Christians ransacked libraries and translated the Arab knowledge, even collected knowledge like Ptolemy's star charts were turning.
- @3:00: By the 13th Century the new vast knowledge was sweeping through Europe much to the dismay of the Catholic church. The did not like to be challenged.
- @7:07: In 12th Century Europe they used water powered alarm clocks, James Burke demonstrates, seems much like a classic Rube Goldberg.
- @9:00: Only problem was in the winter the water froze, by 1280 they got rid of the water and created the modern tick-tock clock.
Names and Events in Part Three
- @0:30: By the beginning of the 15th Century the clock, whose original intention was to tell you when to pry became the device that told you when to work.
- @1:20: Clocks resulted in high production and an economic boom, time turned into money.
- @3:30: It was by the mid 15th Century that pocket watches become wildly available.
- @4:09: Nuremberg, Germany built many of the watches of the time, it was an industrial center of the time. They also produced many high tech astronomy instruments of the time.
- @6:00: In 1608, Hans Lippershey invented the telescope. By 1609, Galileo had his hands on one.
- @6:30: Galileo discovered the earth was not the center of the Universe, the Church responded by throwing him in jail for the rest of his life.
Names and Events in Part Four
- @0:30: Navigators of the 17th Century were not able to take advantage of the new technology of the time pendulum. Governments of the great naval powers, the Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and the English sought new technologies.
- @2:00: What the navigators needed was a better clock spring in order to tell the time properly while on the sea.
- @2:21: Sheffield glassmakers were able to forge a new type of steel.
- @4:30: sextant manufactures like Jesse Ramsden were making more accurate devices with screws.
- @6:21: The furniture business was booming thanks to the lathe. Ramsden was able to use this technology.
- @7:39: In the year 1800 all the ingredients come together and were put together by Henry Maudslay created a tool that could cut metal screws at 1/10000th of an inch. With a screw that accurate, cutters could create more accurate things.
Names and Events in Part Five
- @0:01: These new machines and factories helped the navy's create the parts they needed quickly.
- @1:00: The new America took to this new factory system as they were short men and facing a naval blockade from the British.
- @1:41: It was Thomas Jefferson's idea for the United States to start using the new machine technology to build weapons.
- @5:30: It was Frank Gilbreth who created the concept and developed the how people could be more efficient.
James Burke Connections Episode 5 Questions
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Have you watched any of James Burkes documentaries? 2 AnswersAbsolutely! I loved both Connections and The Day the Universe Changed. The episodes that stand out were one where he took a whack at a cow carcass with a claymo... read more -
What is your favourite James Burke clip? 1 AnswerI like The Day the Universe Changed more than the Connections, because I am interested more in the Science field than history. In my point of view, the main hig... read more
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Who is James Burke? 2 AnswersJames Burke (born 22 December 1936) is a Northern Irish science historian, author and television producer best known for his documentary television series calle... read more -
Does anyone remember the PBS/ITV series "Connections" with James Burke? 1 Answeryes, I just took smt 310 at Cal State Dominguez hills and the Instructors use his series throughout the course, these videos are also available at youtube. read more
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New blog post: James Burke : Connections, Episode 1, "The Trigger Effect", 3 of 5 (CC) http://bit.ly/5j9RdP
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