James Burke : Connections, Episode 4, "Faith In Numbers", 1 of 5 (CC)

Watch Entire Show: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=0C43386079D8B683&playnext=1

More Shows: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=JamesBurkeWeb&view=playlists

Episode 4 of James Burke's most well-known series "Connections" which explores the surprising and unexpected ways that our modern technological world came into existence. Each episode investigates the background of usually one particular modern invention and how it came into being. These explorations are an attempt to locate the "connections" between various historical figures who seemingly had nothing to do with each other in their own times, however once connected, these same figures combined to produce some of the most profound impacts on our modern day world; in a "1+1=3" type of way.

It is this type of investigation that is the main idea behind the Knowledge Web project; whereby sophisticated software is used to attempt to discover these subtle interconnections automatically. See http://k-web.org.

See channel page for purchase options.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• James
• Burke
• Connections
• Faith
• In
• Numbers
• Doppler
• Effect
• Fall
• Of
• Rome
• Taxes
• Cam
• Aquaduct
• JamesBurkeFan
• China
• Loom
• Spinning
• Wheel
• Linen
• Black
• Death
• Economy
• Punch
• Card
• Tabulator
• Water
• Clock
• Computer
• Venice
• Sensus

[masterix6]

Thanks for posting this informative documentary

[JamesBurkeWeb]

You're very welcome.

- JBW

[mikeyman211]

I can't help but think, perhaps find out where this great ancient aqueduct was on a map.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Simply download the kmz file in the video description. I typed the coordinates in by hand and it takes you right there.

[mikeyman211]

That's not what I meant. I was kidding. "Hmm. I wonder where I am. Never mind the aqueduct, I'll use a satellite tracker."

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Ugh. Not my day... I've lose my sense of humour!

[JamesBurkeWeb]

and spelling too! "lost" not "lose".

[PhilJonesIII]

This was and still is a brilliant series. So much is so super specialised now that we can only hope to understand parts of the world.

This program makes it all so much easier to understand and enjoy whats going on.

Thanks for posting.

[hwieldr]

@noferblatz I'm almost certain it was done the other way around: start out with a modern day invention and trace its story back over time. That's the only logical way, since whether a certain historical invention was really important is mainly determined by what happened afterwards...

[noferblatz]

Still the best Connections series (the first). I'm curious: before filming the series, since each "turning point" could lead so many ways, before the series, did you lay them all out together and then consciously pick which way to go with each one in order to get to each of the ten final inventions?

[thomasrdean]

I new that aircraft systems use laser ring gyros. The system I'm talking about was loaned to us from a marine wholesaler for an 4th year Computer Engineering undergraduate project at our university that I was supervising. All the electronics including gyros and accelerometers were self contained in a single unit with a differential GPS antenna unit. It was rather a compact box as well, designed to go inside a cabinet on the bridge of 15 meter small business fishing boats.

[illuzion30]

@thomasrdean Don't know about marine systems, but aircraft systems use laser ring gyros these days... they use the sagnac effect to measure velocity. From what I hear, they still use mechanical accelerometers... a common point of failure. But the systems are modular... and the laser ring is not in the GPS receiver.

[circusboy90210]

wish this could be reposted at a higher dpi.

[thomasrdean]

@DancingHorses26, Actually the system in the box is a Transit System receiver. GPS uses time based references, while TRANSIT was predecessor to GPS that used doppler effect to measure position.

@zarniwoop42. I've worked with marine GPS have Gyros in them. If you loose a signal (fjiord, etc), the gyros and accelerometrs provide dead reconning until the GPS is re-established.

[ChorltonBrook]

Monasteries were a way to keep the populating from becoming too big as well. Early contraception. Put a proportion of the younger males into a celibate lifestyle.

[zarniwoop42]

Rentatrip... A gyro?? I work with GPS and other systems and have never heard of a gyro. I'm not saying you're wrong or lying, just never heard of that in a GPS. I can't even begin to guess on why it would need one. Hmmmm INTERESTING. I need to look it up. Might be enlightening.

[neocoders]

I do rather like those Benedictine monks. Aside from the doctrine and lack of good times, I think that may have been one of the better tickets back then.

[mashiyachministries]

Very good information. Thank you for posting this series!