I'm surprised by how many people are missing the central thesis of Connections. Yes, it was about how technological progress is a web of interlocking discoveries, which is entertaining, but that wasn't the _<i>point</i>_ of it. The first and last episodes of Connections 1 introduce and wrap up the theme of the entire series and it ought to terrify people to the core.<p>(Warning: spoilers ahead)<p>The first, "The Trigger Effect" highlights how utterly and irrevocably dependent human civilization is on a broad web of technology and how delicate that web is, the so called "technology trap". Break it and we can expect an astronomical death toll. (We got a tiny taste of this in the supply chain disruptions of COVID-19.) No one wants to think about it or believe it but the breakdown of civilization is actually possible.<p>The final episode, "Yesterday, Tomorrow and You", ties together the past episodes by pointing out that technological progress is not really controllable or stoppable because of its incremental and interlocking nature. Yet by doing so, we are only deepening our dependence on an ever more delicate web of technology without which we are helpless. Moreover, we don't even know where this unstoppable technological progress is taking us; perhaps a utopia but just as likely a hellscape. (An example of this is the unforeseen societal consequences of the growth of social media or the loss of privacy caused by the web.) It is enough to make one think that the apocalypse preppers aren't entirely wrong.<p>It is one of the most utterly terrifying and thought provoking concepts I have encountered over a lifetime of gathering knowledge.
Full seasons of this show are available on the Internet Archive: <a href="https://archive.org/details/ConnectionsByJamesBurke/" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/ConnectionsByJamesBurke/</a><p>I've been meaning to watch more of them...maybe I'll get around to it over the holiday weekend. :)
Connections, Connections 2, and Connections 3 are gold-mines of information. The information density is incredible, and it's enjoyable to watch.<p>The show holds up very well given it's age, but the image quality is especially difficult to watch on modern LCD screens.
I can't recommend this series often enough. Even though it's over 40 years old, the problem it describes and the questions it raises are more relevant than ever. Besides a complex electricity network we now have internet and all it interconnected systems, an ever more complex electricity network due to new suppliers (rural solar) and global trading networks.
Back in 2017 there was a kickstarter to fund a connections app, it didnt hit the goal and i havent heard anything since. I remember he was on Dan Carlins podcast talking about it. Anyone know what became of the project?<p><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504632459/james-burke-connections-app/rewards" rel="nofollow">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/504632459/james-burke-c...</a>
Good childhood memories of this program. A thoroughly engaging view of how ideas cascade through time, how small changes can evolve into large ones. It was a big influence on how I lecture.
I see a lot of similar stuff on Youtube these days.<p>A recent Economics Explained walked through wealth inequality in some Scandinavian countries (TL;DR: it's high). This is different from income inequality, which is quite low. It walked through the wealth of Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken, who has a net worth of $13B, by virtue of having inherited Heineken. Her family bought (not founded) Heineken 200 years ago, and the family fortune dates back a half-millennium.<p>There are really neat documentary channels like that. I'm not downplaying Burke, who was brilliant, but two bits of progress:<p>- In 1978, he didn't have the Internet. Research is much easier today.<p>- In 2020, anyone can produce high-quality documentaries. In 1978, you needed a massive investment.<p>I'm not trying to imply it's easy, but we've gone from where you need a video editing studies, reels of film, and a research team, to where you just need to spend a few years as a super-nerd to pick up the requisite skills, and drop perhaps $2000 on cameras and microphones. Indeed, if you're scrappy, you can do pro-quality with just a better cell phone and computer, with a lot more work.<p>I'd guess a lot of channels were inspired by Connections.<p>I know Mechanical Universe inspired a lot of (now better) Youtube channels, like 3Blue1Brown. So these early documentaries were pivotal, but we've also come a long ways from there.
Loved these series, from the first release around the 70's on Ambrose video (checked them out from the Library), to purchasing Connections 2 from The Store of Knowledge in the San Jose area (long since closed), to the shorter version 3 (updated, but not as many).<p>Burke has a gift for showing how disparate technologies are actually related - And much to learn along the way.<p>Helps with games of Trivial Pursuit, too - Good for the holidays :)<p>Highly recommend.
An interesting point Burke repeatedly made is that the connections were made by people wanting to make money. Gutenberg invented the printing press to make money, the Wrights invented the airplane to make money, Enbrel (first effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis) was invented to make money.<p>Free markets for the win!
Cool! As a kid I watched this on Discovery channel and I never learned the name nor found it again afterwards. I remember a connection between smoking and the Medici's in Florence and Migraine...
I absolutely love this program and will heartily recommend it to anyone I meet who seems like they might vaguely be in the audience for it.<p>Dare I say, it's even better than Cosmos?
If you like this then <a href="https://thonyc.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">https://thonyc.wordpress.com/</a> is the hard stuff.