James Burke. Genius, historian of genius, maker of one of the greatest TV programmes ever.
Let me explain. Back in the 1970s the heavily regulated British TV environment was responsible for adding some true gems to the world repository of human knowledge. Because there were only three channels, and two of those were the BBC, you didn't have to worry about competitive strategy, so you could make programmes to satisfy other objectives. OK you laugh now at the safari suits and flares, and you compare the stilted narratives and all the rest with our hyperaccelerated graphics and everything louder than everything else sound (and you know, us engineers should take a Dogme vow forswearing the use of heavy compression on the master channel.)but let me tell you something. In ten years time, if anything exists of our current creative models, everything we produce now will look just as stupid as old stuff does now. They'll be lining up comedians to say unfunny pieces to camera about Big Brother just as we do now about say The Tube or whatever.
But, like whatever. I loved this when I was ickle. It got me interested in the history of innovation, which is not normally a nice easy linear progression but a set of fits and starts, jumps forward and backwards. It also got me interested in the betweens, which are the really important factors. That is to say, the things which only happen when you connect up knowledge in different fields. We can easily become knowledge islands. So build fucking bridges.
Anyway here's JB at his best. This ep of connections links the atomic bomb to the stirrup. It's clear and it's compelling and it's very interesting. Part One here.
Get the rest while they're still up. I promise you that if you are interested it will reward you. Now to only disconnect, as we might deliberately misquote Forster. You can also get connections here
But why would you. £243 for fucking DVD box set? Are you taking the piss. Yes you are. Thank the ineffable Tao therefore for a modern knowledge connection method. Here. Thank JamesBurkeFan at youtube for sterling work in uploading to the 'toob. Be careful with the 12GB vols 1, 2, 3 set (it will take days to dl.)
And remember to ding a dong every hour, when you pick a flower, even when your lover has gone....