James Burke : Connections³, Episode 1 : "Feedback" (HQ), 1 of 6

[sharpezor]

what is this bullshit

[BugsWisely]

Rabbits have to eat their own feces to stay healthy.

[photogopher]

There is no doubt in my mind that this was/is my all time favorite program on PBS. It was so well done and set the standard for all those programs to follow in its footsteps.

The great thing about it is history doesn't change and it could be run again with some minor addendums or updates for new connections if they exist. Well done James!

[DaveKovacs82]

This series made me sad. The great mind responsible for Connections and Day the Universe Changed sold out to TLC's demands for a high paced, ADD-produced, overly jokey series that looked more like saturday morning cartoons that a history documentary.

I hope some day JB will do one more serious series. He truly is brilliant.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

I got the same impression *at first* with Connections³, but after watching beyond the 3rd of 4th episode I thought that it improved tremendously.

Yes, there's lots of dry humour and slapstick, but just as often it's very subtle; not what I'd classify as "ADD-produced".

Try watching from say, episode 5 onwards and see what you think. I know a lot of it is just plain corny but I think those episodes are worth viewing for the more subtle/serious content interwoven with the "ADD content".

- JBW

[DaveKovacs82]

Oh Ive watched the whole series a couple of times. I also have the companion book THE KNOWLEDGE WEB. That was the problem, even with the book I couldn't follow the connections.

I first discovered J. Burke when I was in 7th grade. I read Connections and every Friday my history teacher let me summarize a chapter in a presentation for the class. The beautiful thing is that I COULD summarize a chapter in a way 7th graders (or anyone else) understood. That's also true of Connections 2.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Some of them are pretty tenuous I agree. And some are outright slight-of-hand. But I thnk what he's really trying to do with here is a kind of random walk connections path; a non-linear version where the connections are *meant to be* random things that tend to lead you astray in some random direction.

The fact that this random walk ends where it starts is a bit gimmicky, but I think he makes his point.: Everything is interconnected and it's never really obvious, until you reach the end, "how".

[DaveKovacs82]

Ill concede there are times when it works. Connections 1 was very linear compared to this---one thing led to another, led to another. Connections 2 got a little "webbier" A caused B, B was really made possible by C, D and E, D happened because of F, which also caused G. It takes more work.

But Connections 2 still made good sense at least 90% of the time.

This series had too many problems. Sometimes I honestly can't figure out what the connections are.

Its fun though.

[MrBunnerabb]

@DaveKovacs82

I'm inclined to agree that the first series let the subject matter carry the show and much to their detriment, the later productions shifted this duty towards the bells, whistles and witticisms smattered about the show, instead.

Series one is, beyond a doubt, the best television ever produced.

[felipepiresrj]

is the person posting those videos james burke ? or does this person know james burke ?^Because I think that James Burke is the closest thing to God that we have living in this planet right now...plis answer me back

[JamesBurkeWeb]

No, and no.

Although I am a huge fan of Mr. Burke, I think "God" might be a bit of a stretch ;). In fact, it should be the other way around. If only Gods could speak with clarity and vision, humour and understanding, with uncertainty, but without appealing to fear. Encouraging non-linear thought and admitting there's no "right" answer to any question.

Such a being is Mr. Burke, and I don't think any known Gods are even close to up-to-scratch!

- JBW

[felipepiresrj]

Have you ever met Mr.Burke personally ? is there anymore videos or shows of him out there, I'm almost done with all the videos you have !

I NEED MORE MAN, Seriously, i need to get my JamesBurke fix. otherwise I'll go depressed !

[JamesBurkeWeb]

There are 3 feature programs on JamesBurkeWebNode1 that I toggle in and out of the feature slot...

I can send you some audio interviews.

[felipepiresrj]

DO IT MAN !!! QUICK !!!!

[RomTheSpaceknight]

OMG Thee is a connections 3. I am so happy happy happy

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Yes, always has been. See playlists for more shows (or click the link in the video description).

- JBW

[RedDaVincy]

Always full of cheesy, new and sometimes highly debatable ideas. Fun stuff!

[MauserK43]

actually it wasnt the feedback system that was killing V1 missiles and Aircraft, it was the ultra secret Proximity fuse used in most shells over 40mm and up. Feedback got the shells in the ballpack but the Proximity Fuse detected the target when it was in range of the shell and exploded the shell. Yes all done in WW2

[JamesBurkeWeb]

But which came first?

I mean, if the Proximity fuse (which I have heard of) already existed but was ineffective then you'd have to say that it was the use of feedback techniques that finally "solved the problem" no?

- JBW

[MauserK43]

I believe the Proximity Fuse was used first late 1943/early 1944

[JamesBurkeWeb]

I'm not sure either.

I know that Richard Feynman, after he finished up at MIT, was asked to work on the problem of proximity fuses at high altitude which were certainly unreliable, if even workable (the problem being that the fuses fizzle-out at high enough altitude). He eventually gave up on the problem and went back to Princeton.

I'm not sure when he graduated from MIT but I do know that America had yet to become involved in the war when he was given the problem, so ~1940 / 1941.

- JBW

[lakermangmx]

He did not gave up on the problem, the team was inadequate, at one point they lied something about the system, and he went elsewhere later. He did not fancy weapon systems, or working to goverment funded project, especially after los alamos and this.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Well I'm only quoting Prof. Feynman about that from his book "Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman" p.38, where he says:

[QUOTE]

I thought I only had to correct the air resistance at different altitudes. Instead, my job was to invent a machine that would make the shell explode at the right moment, when the fuse won't burn!

I decided that was too hard for me and went back to Princeton.

[/QUOTE]

Regardless of his position on weapon design, it doesn't sound like he was blaming the team.

[lakermangmx]

you bastard. I checked the book too. You are right. Two point: this was feynmans only mechanical engineering task ever and he did a great job in the first phases, they even made him the project leader. Before he quit, he checked that: a; they had no adequate data

b; they changed the detonation system.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Hehe, well we all make mistakes. Of course I double-checked with the book *before* posting, much easier that way wrt "misquotes".

I forget the other details about his forte into engineering at that time but I do remember his recounting of his experiences as a "chemical engineer" with that boss who claimed he could metal plate *anything*! And of course Feynman became the "chief chemist" (the other employee being a bottle-washer!). I forget if there was anyone else. Now I must go look it up!

[MauserK43]

hahah compuserve

[JamesBurkeWeb]

As you may have noticed, I corrected the aspect ratio for this episode and bumped up the quality slightly. I don't expect to do the same for all episodes with my very limited bandwidth (approx. 2 days just to do a single episode) but I thought it might be nice to see at least one episode at the correct aspect and with fairly decent quality. Though I'm sure the remastered DVDs are still far better than this!

- JBW

[lakermangmx]

great quality :)

[JamesBurkeWeb]

I can't do them all, but maybe I'll do episode 5 "Life is no Picnic" since it is my favourite.

Maybe I can speed it up by re-encoding at the correct aspect ratio but at a lower video Kbps. YouTube didn't maintain the original quality anyhow. There's not much point in uploading a 90 meg clip at 1.2Kbps when their encoder sends you back a 30meg file at 500Kbps...

- JBW

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Oops, I meant 1.2Mbps

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Looks like re-encoding the video aiming for an average of 780Kbps (VBR) gives about the same quality as YouTube sends back for CBR at 1.2Mbps, except that I save 150+ megs on the upload. So I'll do E05 that way.

[lakermangmx]

I am sorry about the bandwidth, I tried to devise something to help with mine, but there were no definite advantages..