7 ms·

I'm likely misunderstanding, but are you suggesting that James Burke's "Connections" series is not intellectually stimulating / worth watching? They may have so

I'm likely misunderstanding, but are you suggesting that James Burke's "Connections" series is not intellectually stimulating / worth watching? They may have some pop-sci aspects, but as a whole, they piqued my interest in various scientific discoveries/inventions as well as parts of history I may have otherwise ignored.

dredmorbius 13y ago
No. I was listing documentaries which aren't included on the list posted. I've edited my comment to clarify that point. Connections (the first series) was absolutely brilliant, as was TDTUC. I've been less enamored of Connections2 -- the 22 minute format is too brief, the episodes rushed and a little too topical, and a lot of material re-treaded. I haven't watched C3 yet, but note that it returns to the 55 minutes of the original series. I've become increasingly fascinated by the Industrial Revolution and the changes both leading up to and emerging from it. Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil are trying to tell us that there's a Singularity in our future. I feel it was in our past (and that they're pitching snake oil). The change in the human condition from 1780 to 1980 simply staggers the mind. I'd argue that much of it completed by the 1930s, and that there's been fairly modest change since (mostly in information and communications). I don't think the world of 2013 is hugely different from that of 1963. But 1963 was worlds apart from 1913.
- ilteris 13y ago
  Is Connection series good to watch for understanding Industrial Revolution better? I would like to understand Industrial revolution better if there's any documentary or book out there along the lines of "Ascent of Money" - the book. I loved reading that book.
  - mtdewcmu 13y ago
    The industrial revolution is a vast subject, much of which happened in Britain and the US from the mid-18th to 20th centuries. Yergin's The Prize is a fascinating look at how oil took it into high gear. I highly recommend that book.
    - dredmorbius 13y ago
      Absolutely recommend The Prize. Revisiting Burke with that under my belt helped hugely.
  - dredmorbius 13y ago
    Yes. And I also appreciated Ascent of Money (the book). Even if Ferguson is more than a bit of an ass personally.
  - dredmorbius 13y ago
    Expanding on my earlier post: Connections is an excellent series to watch concerning the Industrial Revolution, as is The Day the Universe Changed. Both series cover far more, but typically span in in most parts. Burke is clearly fascinated by the period (he's a bit of a tech geek and fan -- his history with the Apollo program should tip you to that), as well as much of what came before and since. The spanning is actually really useful as you come to a better understanding of why the Industrial Revolution happened where and when it did (though I'd argue, not a complete understanding -- I'm still working at that myself). The Day the Universe Changed complements and supplements Connections extremely well. As I noted below, I watched both after having seen The Prize, based on Daniel Yergin's book of the same name, which follows the history of petroleum from 1859 to 1992 (the date of publication). That series was simply fascinating. If you're interested in the period, I'd also recommend Arnold Toynbee's Lectures on the Industrial Revolution which cover a lot of the economic and social issues of the century following Adam Smith. Robert Ayres is a modern economist who's looked at the role of innovation throughout the period in his paper "Technological Transformations and Long Waves" (1989).

dredmorbius 13y ago

No. I was listing documentaries which aren't included on the list posted. I've edited my comment to clarify that point. Connections (the first series) was absolutely brilliant, as was TDTUC. I've been less enamored of Connections2 -- the 22 minute format is too brief, the episodes rushed and a little too topical, and a lot of material re-treaded. I haven't watched C3 yet, but note that it returns to the 55 minutes of the original series. I've become increasingly fascinated by the Industrial Revolution and the changes both leading up to and emerging from it. Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil are trying to tell us that there's a Singularity in our future. I feel it was in our past (and that they're pitching snake oil). The change in the human condition from 1780 to 1980 simply staggers the mind. I'd argue that much of it completed by the 1930s, and that there's been fairly modest change since (mostly in information and communications). I don't think the world of 2013 is hugely different from that of 1963. But 1963 was worlds apart from 1913.

ilteris 13y ago
Is Connection series good to watch for understanding Industrial Revolution better? I would like to understand Industrial revolution better if there's any documentary or book out there along the lines of "Ascent of Money" - the book. I loved reading that book.
- mtdewcmu 13y ago
  The industrial revolution is a vast subject, much of which happened in Britain and the US from the mid-18th to 20th centuries. Yergin's The Prize is a fascinating look at how oil took it into high gear. I highly recommend that book.
  - dredmorbius 13y ago
    Absolutely recommend The Prize. Revisiting Burke with that under my belt helped hugely.
- dredmorbius 13y ago
  Yes. And I also appreciated Ascent of Money (the book). Even if Ferguson is more than a bit of an ass personally.
- dredmorbius 13y ago
  Expanding on my earlier post: Connections is an excellent series to watch concerning the Industrial Revolution, as is The Day the Universe Changed. Both series cover far more, but typically span in in most parts. Burke is clearly fascinated by the period (he's a bit of a tech geek and fan -- his history with the Apollo program should tip you to that), as well as much of what came before and since. The spanning is actually really useful as you come to a better understanding of why the Industrial Revolution happened where and when it did (though I'd argue, not a complete understanding -- I'm still working at that myself). The Day the Universe Changed complements and supplements Connections extremely well. As I noted below, I watched both after having seen The Prize, based on Daniel Yergin's book of the same name, which follows the history of petroleum from 1859 to 1992 (the date of publication). That series was simply fascinating. If you're interested in the period, I'd also recommend Arnold Toynbee's Lectures on the Industrial Revolution which cover a lot of the economic and social issues of the century following Adam Smith. Robert Ayres is a modern economist who's looked at the role of innovation throughout the period in his paper "Technological Transformations and Long Waves" (1989).