Connections

The Sherlock Holmes of science, James Burke tracks through 12,000 years of history for the clues that lead us to eight g... (more)

The Sherlock Holmes of science, James Burke tracks through 12,000 years of history for the clues that lead us to eight great life changing inventions - the atom bomb, telecommunications, the computer, the production line, jet aircraft, plastics, rocketry, and television. Burke postulates that such changes occur in response to factors he calls "triggers," some of them seemingly unrelated. These have their own triggering effects, causing change in totally unrelated fields as well. And so the connections begin.... "This mode of analysis moves beyond conventional linear narrative, and as a result embraces complexity. Each episode is an essay connecting several seemingly disparate events or technologies through an extended web of logic -- it's great fun to follow." - Chris Higgins, Mentalfloss. (less)