James Burke : Connections, Episode 1, "The Trigger Effect", 4 of 5 (CC)

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Episode 1 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 connections automatically. See http://k-web.org.

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[daddyofjames]

Is JB still with us? He must be quite 'mature' if he is. The same way Johnny Ball made maths fun (although I was still rubbish!) JB made science and technology accessible and not only the domain of those with a PhD. A national treasure.

[JamesBurkeWeb]

I'm sure we would've heard something on the news if Mr. Burke had passed on. He's not THAT old! Maybe 70ish.

[rob3c]

"They tried to domesticate any animal they could get their hands on. I mean, take a look at this: animal flat on its back...tie its back legs, hang onto its front legs, stuff food down its throat and hope that it learns to love you...didn't work too well on that one - it's a hyena."

Gotta love Burke :) I especially enjoy the first series. Haven't seen these in years - thanks for posting!

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Haha, I know. It's often quite hilarious.

Also interesting I find, is the way he gently describes the torture of those who don't pay their taxes... not funny, but ironic with it's apparent lack of pity. It's a strange, almost intimate tone of voice he uses but he gets the point across. Starkly.

- JBW

[rob3c]

Yes, the taxes bit was chilling in his matter-of-fact delivery that seemed to parallel the depiction in the hieroglyphs. It's just like he's describing another standard process like agriculture or metalwork :)

[JamesBurkeWeb]

Right. The emotionless tone calls to mind what we think and say now, in our own time, and can not see that what appears to be simply the way things are, as fundamentally wrong.

It's subtle but how else can you bring it into context? It must be stated the way a "market watch" reporter dispassionately notes that the famine in Indonesia has caused a 2% drop in the value of some unknown company's stock value.

- JBW

[runevirage]

Views on this video: 42,000

Views on Justin Bieber video: 382,000,000

Sigh.

[champagnerocker]

@JamesBurkeWeb The internet tells me that he is 75 and alive!

[BugsWisely]

once you have surplus food you can feed the ones protecting you.

[fardelian]

@daddyofjames I know I'm late, but others may wonder. Wikipedia says he's 75 years old, born 22 December 1936.

[jeshika22]

the plow, or irrigation

[blackpanther77777]

nice subliminal at 5:44, like if you know whats up.



[Jornev]

@AutodidacticPhd Exactly what I was about to post.

[Throwweight]

@daddyofjames Check out k-web.org

[jeremy1000100]

This guy's got it all wrong. Agriculture does not depend on the "invention" of the plough. People had been growing crops (rather than just gathering wild plants) for many centuries before the plough came into being. Indeed the concept of preparing the ground prior to sowing had been going on a long time before the plough with the use of hoes and adze like tools; these are still used today in many parts of the world. The facts have been changed to suit the script not the other way around.

[oker59]

@oker59

Hello Charlton, I'm quoting an article here,

"Kathleen Kenyon. She dated it to the pre-pottery Neolithic age, 8,000 to 7,000 BC".