Connections: Episode 2 - How the Touchstone, used to verify the purity of gold coins in the ancient world, led to the invention of modern day Radar
Connections: Episode 2 - How the Touchstone, used to verify the purity of gold coins in the ancient world, led to the invention of modern day Radar
"Death in the Morning" examines the standardisation of precious metal with the touchstone in the ancient world. This innovation stimulated trade from Greece to Persia, ultimately causing the construct...
James Burke is an absolute legend.
Seconded.
I watched these the first time around. Recently rewatched on YouTube.
He's one of those rare educators that doesn't lecture you so much as offer you a ticket on a great ride.
I've just stumbled across these a week ago(?).
It's a shame it's too unlike entertainment, so my wife isn't interested ...sigh. Sometimes I wonder why she married a nerd
This Series is back to back amazing! If you can find it, do yourself a favour, have a drink and just watch it. It is funny and you will learn lots.
Hell, I am going to do it myself. Again.
Burke is also doing a new Connections series on Curosity Stream, with a few episodes released already. Though if I'm honest, they don't really seem to capture the same magic these old ones do.
This and another Burke creation - The Day The Earth Changed - are among the best documentary series ever done.
Both series convey a very real sense of the random churning of humanity, fortuitous little pushes forward or sideways-then-forward-again, on the path to modern technology and how it has transformed society, our lives. And all is done in the most delightful, tongue-in-cheek manner, a sense of both joy and intellect vibrating throughout.
Masterful stuff.