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Welcome to:
THE JAMES BURKE FAN COMPANION NEWSLETTER 07 - JULY 2002:

This newsletter and previous ones are available on-line as web pages at:
www.fantasticplaces.com/jamesburke/burke_archive.html

Please pass this newsletter along to other James Burke enthusiasts you know about, who may be unaware of its existence.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this newsletter comes from a wide variety of sources and is selected for publication solely by the newsletter's editor/creator Tom Palmer. Please be advised that James Burke does NOT necessarily endorse or associate himself with the information or organizations mentioned in the James Burke Fan Companion website and periodic e-mail news updates. Likewise, the information contained in this publication does NOT necessarily represent the views and opinions of Mr. Burke.


Welcome to issue 7 of the James Burke Fan Companion news update. Greetings to all of the James Burke fans around the world whom I have the pleasure of communicating with. I hope this newsletter finds you all healthy and living life the way you would like.

It's July and things are quietly moving along for all the Burke workers behind the scenes. James is writing. The K-Webbers are thinking and building and testing. I am trying to find new ways to supply Connections fans with information they can appreciate. One thing is for sure and that is that it's going to be a hot month. Make sure you are able read this in the comfort of a nice, cool air-conditioned room.

Okay! Let's see what's going on.


TEACHERS - A QUESTION FOR YOU!

Recently a member of the Knowledge Web team sent in a request to discover which teachers or schools were utilizing Mr. Burke's books or videos in their courses.

If you or anyone you know of is using "Connections", "The Day The Universe Changed" or any other of Mr. Burke's materials as teaching aides, would you please tell us about it. You may contact me at info@fantasticplaces.com


JBFC WEBSITE NEWS

A change of perspective - To avoid confusion between the Burke-oriented publications that I (Tom Palmer) produce and Mr. Burke's actual personal enterprises, the James Burke Connection website is in the process of changing its name to Palmer's James Burke Fan Companion. While Mr. Burke and his associates do contribute to the site and newsletter, a need has arisen to make clear distinctions between Mr. Burke's non-profit/institutional activities and independent editorial/commercial ventures such as mine.

As a reader of this newsletter, please keep in mind that Mr. Burke does not have foreknowledge of this newsletter's content and does NOT, therefore, automatically endorse any of it by default.

Palmer's James Burke Fan Companion website and newsletter are intended to serve the needs and lifestyles of individuals who appreciate Mr. Burke's public offerings. These publications report and comment on Mr. Burke's past, present and future activities and speak to the submitted requests of site and newsletter readers. They are also an attempt to actively promote the concepts, viewpoints, and subject matter which Mr. Burke is commonly associated with to the public.

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If you have been to the James Burke Fan Companion website in the last few weeks, you will notice that the home page has become more and more crowded with information. To manage that situation, I have readjusted the page to give you a menu of links to the various front-page news items. Of course, this is just a temporary fix until we implement a new site interface design.

Speaking of new designs, Noelle tells me that she will have a new graphic prototype to show me soon, as well as the finished draft of the new "Burke For Beginners" section.

A recent site addition: at the bottom of most pages, there is now a link that will allow you to recommend the site to your friends.


BURKE NEWS

James informs me that he is busy working away in France and is wrapping up the initial manuscript for his upcoming book. He send me a lovely picture looking out of his terrace window. It looks like the perfect place to collect his thoughts and write a book.

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS (UPCOMING)

Mr. Burke's lecture agent, Royce Carlton, has just forwarded me two new speaking engagements for late 2002:

10/30/02: Discovery Centre - Halifax, Nova Scotia - i-i-i conference

11/02/02: West Chester University

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For information on scheduling James Burke for a future speaking engagement, please contact his lecture agent Royce Carlton.
info@roycecarlton.com
www.roycecarlton.com/speakers/burke.html

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A PERSONAL REQUEST FROM MR. BURKE

James has a trusted business associate that he would like to call your attention to and recommend.

"I've worked on and off for 11 years (on TV shows and books) with Carolyn Doree and she has a fallow period coming up between jobs for a few months from September and could do with some work. -- She's a brilliant researcher, prolific and accurate, has London Univ. Ph D in English, is really great on general academic research, lives in Oxford (and all the libraries there), and is absolutely first class. I can't recommend her too highly."

To contact Ms. Doree about potential work, please send a message to her, via me, at: info@fantasticplaces.com

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THE KNOWLEDGE WEB PROJECT

Mr. Burke still would like help from Graduate Students and Academics in researching some of the 2200 biographies for the online Knowledge Web project.

If you know anyone who would like to volunteer their time to this fantastic project, please send an e-mail to the K-Web team leader, Patrick McKercher at:

volunteers@k-web.org

Mr. Burke does has an informational website in place now that begins to describe the project. You can visit it at:

www.k-web.org


WEBMASTER NEWS

In the last news update I briefly talked about the recent trip to California I took. One thing I neglected to mention, because I thought it might be proprietary in nature, was a presentation I witnessed by Ted Nelson of his new Zig-Zag software system. I have since talked to Ted and he wants everyone out there to know of its existence. For people who might not be familiar with Ted Nelson, he is credited with creating the concept of "hypertext" and is famous for an early Internet-like system called "Xanadu", based on his original hypertext idea.

I found Ted's new system of organizing and accessing computer data to be very fresh and quite interesting. I could relate to it highly and I hope he finds some way to put it into the hands of the general public. For more info, visit the following link:

xanadu.com/zigzag/


TV SCHEDULE (UPCOMING)
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Evidently, you just can't see too much of James Burke!
The Connections 2 & 3 series continue to be rebroadcast on The (Discovery) Science Channel through July! science.discovery.com/schedule/series.jsp?series=46

Connections 2 - The Science Channel - Now thru at least July 24, 2002
FYI - series beginning = "Revolutions", series conclusion = "Flexible Response"

Connections 3 - The Science Channel - Now thru at least Aug. 01, 2002
FYI - series beginning = "Feedback", series conclusion = "In Touch"

Note: I do not know if either Connections series will be played in proper sequence or if the eventual final episodes scheduled will be the actual final episode for each series. Therefore, if you are planning to videotape these programs, don't necessarily wait for the beginning episodes to cycle through.
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science.discovery.com


WAYS TO COMMUNICATE

Want to communicate with other Burke fans? Don't forget about the James Burke newsgroup and Yahoo "group" where you can post messages.

I am really happy to see that a few of you who have started to use these resources. Keep at it!

alt.fan.james-burke

groups.yahoo.com/group/connectionswithjamesburke/


THINKING CONNECTIVELY

(Please note: At this point in time, the following methods have not been reviewed or endorsed by James Burke. Nor has anyone provided me with the exact methods Mr. Burke uses to construct his books and videos.)
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Both myself (Tom Palmer) and Mr. Burke would like to encourage you to start thinking of your world in terms of greater connectivity. Mr. Burke has been trying to do this all along, and today he is building a fantastic tool, The Knowledge Web, that will help you understand the past in terms of its many connections. My motivation is slightly different. I am creating a new section in the JBFC website called "Be Like Burke" where I hope to analyze Mr. Burke's videos and provide you with a system of my own design that will allow you to produce your own history-hopping stories and digital videos. Perhaps our two parallel efforts will support each other.

Looking at your daily life with a greater focus on connectivity will provide you with new insights into the way events happen and leave you with a new appreciation for the situations, objects and ideas you encounter. It will enrich your life, alter your perspective and make you a more effective person. But first you have to start learning to see things with a heightened sense of connectedness. What are the connections between things and where are they hiding? You need to be able to recognize the potential connections inherent in everything around you.

In this short discussion, I will try to show you the many ways in which things can be connected and how to approach the problem of identifying topics, by employing a technique I used as an advertising professional to brainstorm ideas.

To generate advertising messages, many creatives begin in the following manner. First, in the middle of a notepad, easel or chalkboard, they write down the name of the product or service they wish to tell people about. Then, in a pie-shaped or wagon-wheel-spoke style they surround the subject with various categories of qualities that describe it. Finally, they fill in as many of the category areas as possible with detailed attributes about the subject. One or more of these attributes will eventually become the focus of an advertisement and have a story build around it.

Now the same technique can be applied to observing the connections between things. If you have ever seen one of James Burke's Connections programs or read one of his books, you know there are plenty of different ways to connect things together. The first step in learning connectivity is to realize just how many possible connection points there are that can branch off of any one item. To demonstrate we will examine how a "person" can be connected to other elements. We could just as well have started with an event or a place or an object, or an idea, but I will do that later on in the JBFC site.

So let's put an object under the connectivity microscope. The following is a list of categories and attributes that can be associated with a "person". Each one of these items can be a "connection". And, in turn, it can be connected to something else. Keep in mind that these connections can be both incoming and outgoing from the "person" in question. Also, realize that there are two basic kinds of connections: direct and casual (my terms). "Direct" connections are more like those found in Burke's original Connections program, where there are solid, causal links that progress step-by-step forward to make certain things happen. "Casual" connections are more like those found in the Connections 2 and 3 programs, where items are often linked together by a feature they have in common.

So, as in the brainstorming technique I just mentioned, imagine the following categories and details radiating out from the name of the individual in a concentric fashion.

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1. Personal/Physical Attributes - (What was his/her ---?)
weight, height, race, gender, hair color, eye color, diseases/injuries, appearance, strength, agility, mannerisms, disposition, intelligence, emotional character, fears, general behavior, beliefs, biases, preferences, interests, nickname

2. Places - (Where did he/she live, work or visit?)
place of birth, home town, other towns lived in, places visited, schools attended, places of employment, places of combat

3. Affiliations - (What --- was he/she a part of?)
nationality, religion, political party, armed service, business, occupation, organization, club, social movement, concept

4. Relatives - (Who were his/her ---?)
parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, aunts/uncles, nephews/nieces, cousins, spouses, in-laws

5. Friends, Associates & Contacts - (Who was his/her ---?)
girlfriend/boyfriend, sidekick, rival, enemy, boss, assistant, employee, client, supplier, landlord, ruler, priest, doctor, lawyer, policeman, mentor, teacher, student, handyman, shopkeeper

6. Interactions - (What --- did he/she deal with?)
government, school, bank, hospital, stores, theater, restaurants, hotels, other institutions

7. Events & Activities - (What things did he/she do or see?)
personal daily activities, habits, diet, personal life events, hobbies, favorite books, games/sports, recreation, witnessed events, social conditions, historic events of the time

8. Accomplishments - (What could he/she do? What did he/she do?)
skills, spoken languages, achievements, degrees obtained, awards, acts of creativity

9. Property - (What could he/she own?)
personal belongings, clothing, household goods, furniture, art, literature, collections, tools/equipment, real estate/land, vehicles, pets/animals, plants

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As you can see, people, and everything else that you know of, has thousands of contributing influences connected to them. And each of those in turn has its own thousand influences. And none of these are separate and isolated. They all interact in various ways and to various degrees. It can be overwhelming when thought of as a whole. That is why it is better to get a feel for connectivity by examining a single pathway through history as Mr. Burke has done in his fascinating programs. And this is both of our goals, to give you the ability to discover your own set of historic connections in the everyday elements of life. To allow you to see the richness and diversity of events and find your own personal significance in that which you are a part.

So now, go out into your environment and start to contemplate how everything is connected. Try to visualize it. Imagine all the virtual connecting strings that stream off of things. Look at every person you see. Think about everyone they have EVERY talked to. Picture a series of long filaments connecting each person in your field of vision to the thousands of others they have encountered since being born. Do the same for every object in the room you are in. Think of every person and object any given object has touched or been influenced by. Connect the clock on the wall to everyone who has ever looked at it or has handled its components. It will certainly make you take the everyday world less for granted. But remember, don't overdo it and give yourself a headache.


EDITORIAL: MY FANTASY JAMES BURKE INTERVIEW

11 Questions We Will Never Get The Answers To -

Okay. Deep down, all of us want to know what individuals who have "been there" think about things. And James Burke is not without a wealth of experience to contemplate. Not only has he traveled the World --- he's PAID ATTENTION! That's a lot more than most of us can say. While we've been setting at home on the couch watching the latest episode of "Friends" (or Voyager in my case), Mr. Burke has been digging through major libraries and museums, rounding up the juicy details of our collective past.

I mean, here's a man who really OUGHT to have an opinion. He's reported on Man's greatest achievement, sending people to the Moon. He's produced documentaries about the Human Brain and Art and the Global Environment. He's outlined a number of major milestones in the progression of Man, from the most primitive concepts to the complexities that govern the world of today. He's explored the revolutions that occur in society when powerful new ideas become accepted. And most notably, he's shown us the interconnectivity of everything that has happened in history.

Now you would surely think, that after having processed and distilled down and organized all that knowledge for us to take in, that he would have reached a conclusion or two about matters here on Earth. Of course, the point is, that he no doubt has and is keeping his perspective to himself, for very good reasons. At this point in time, it wouldn't be at all prudent for Mr. Burke to open himself up to a game of who's right and who's wrong with those who might see things differently. No, James has more important things to accomplish and doesn't need to be impeded.

Still, it would be nice to know. I realize that he probably doesn't have "the answer" to many of life's nagging questions, but I bet he could give us a few good pieces to the puzzle if he really tried. Perhaps he will take an afternoon someday, pour a glass of his favorite wine and write down the answers so future citizens can learn from his observations. So, if I could, here is what I would ask him:

1. Give us your slant on The Big Picture. What's "Life, The Universe and Everything" all about? How do you think it really works and what's the point of it all?

2. After seeing all the things people have endured over the course of history, what advice would you give people now about living their lives, working and having relationships with each other?

3. In your programs, you have mentioned the activities of people in various religious cultures and have talked about science-minded individuals who were also interested in "spiritualism". What are your personal feelings about religion and spirituality? Do you have any sense that there is a spiritual reality or some sort of supernatural creative intelligence (God)? Is there a religion that you practice or lean towards? If so, could you explain why? How have your career experiences influenced your view of religious matters?

4. What are your feelings about Science and it's practical limitations? Where do you think we are in our discovery of knowledge? How much has Science learned so far, and how much is it going to learn in the future?

5. Predict the future for us. What kind of inventions and situations do you think are likely to occur?

6. If you had a time machine, where and when would you use it to take you? What would you do when you got there? A related question: What are the big mysteries in history you would most like to have the answers to?

7. What is your favorite historical character or story?

8. What is your vision of a perfect, or ideal, or balanced system of education?

9. How do you feel about your personal contribution to the World and your impact upon people?

10. What is your favorite location used in the filming of any "Connections" episode?

11. A list. What is the most enjoyable: affordable wine, unaffordable wine, piece of art, musical composition, travel location, book to read, museum to visit, food to eat, woman to look at (not counting your wife or relatives), in the world (according to you)?

So, that's it. Presumptuous of me to ask, perhaps, I suppose. However, readers, you are free to submit your own questions to be added to the list. I'll publish the good ones.


A TRIP TO THE BOOKSTORE -- (DISCOVERED LITERATURE)

Since the last newsletter, I had a gentleman write in about a book that I saw but passed over. Tim's message says:

"Another book of interest: The Botany of Desire, by Michael Pollan - The author describes the history and interactions with man of four plants, the apple, the tulip, the potato and marijuana."

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Below is a long list of books I recently found at the local Barnes & Noble. About half of these items were found in the discount book rack. But don't worry. They wouldn't be here if I didn't think they were good.

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Last of all, I quickly stuck my head in the bookstore while visiting our local art museum, Kansas City's Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Here are a couple I found of interest.


SUBMISSIONS FROM SITE VISITORS

Below are a couple of interesting links sent in by people visiting the JBFC website.

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"I never responded to your email regarding James Burke's speaking engagement at Rice University and for that I am sorry. In an attempt to redeem myself, I am sending you the link to the relevant article in the Rice News."

riceinfo.rice.edu/projects/reno/rn/20020425/burke.html

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"Hail fellow "Burke-ee", Happy to make your connection. Here's a map I put up to help people navigate the man, his work, and the project. Let me know if there are other Burke points or "Connections" that I should add to the map."

www.1-900-870-6235.com/BurkeMap.htm


LINKS FOR BURKE-O-PHILES
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Instead of scouring the web for pages relating to Mr. Burke, this month I decided to take a break and look for links that might appeal to Burke-minded people. I didn't have much time to research this, so the list is a only mere fraction of what it could be. I invite those of you out there who are reading this to submit your own favorite links for consideration. Consider the following list to be a sampler designed to wet your appetite and get you thinking. More next issue.

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- futurists -
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Ken Dychwald's Age Wave
www.agewave.com/

Ted Nelson's Xanadu
www.xanadu.com/

Wired's people archive
www.wired.com/wired/archive/people/

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- the world -
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CIA World Factbook
www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

City Populations
www.citypopulation.de/

Info-Nation
www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/info.asp

Information Please & Fact Monster
www.infoplease.com/
www.factmonster.com/

Statistical Resources
www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html

World Population Clock (from US Census)
www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/popclockw

Yahoo: Statistics
dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Statistics/

Yahoo: Global Economy
dir.yahoo.com/Social_Science/Economics/Global_Economy/

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- history -
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Images From History
www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/noframes.html

Yahoo: History
dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/

Yahoo: History Archives
dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/Archives/

Yahoo: History Journals
dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/Journals/

- industrial design & products -

Apple Computer
www.apple.com/

Frog Design
www.frogdesign.com/

Herman Miller
www.hermanmiller.com/

IDEO
www.ideo.com

Industrial Designers Society of America
www.idsa.org/

Macromedia
www.macromedia.com/

Palm
www.palm.com/

Segway
www.segway.com/

Steelcase
www.steelcase.com

Yahoo: Industrial Design
dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Design/Industrial_Design/

Yahoo: Product Design
dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Design/Product_Design/

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- engineering & science -
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Yahoo: Engineering
dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Engineering/

Yahoo: Manufacturing
dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Manufacturing/

Yahoo: Scientific
dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Scientific/

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- architecture -
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Chicago Athenaeum
www.chi-athenaeum.org/

National Building Museum
www.nbm.org/home.html

Yahoo: Architecture Firms
dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Business_to_Business/Architecture/Firms/

Yahoo: Architecture Organizations
dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Design_Arts/Architecture/Organizations/

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- organizations -
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Mensa
www.mensa.org/

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- science news -
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Discovery Channel
www.discovery.com/

The History Channel
www.historychannel.com/

Popular Science
www.popsci.com/popsci/

Scientific American
www.sciam.com/

Wired Magazine
www.wired.com


EBAY LISTINGS (CURRENTLY UP FOR SALE)
As found on eBay July 01, 2002
www.ebay.com
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BOOKS

The Knowledge Web - 1 copy
The Day The Universe Changed - 1 copy

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CD-ROM GAMES

Connections: A Mind Game - 3 copies


DVD, VIDEO, BOOK, AUDIOBOOK LIST (ORDER ON-LINE)
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DVDS

Connections 1

Connections 2

Connections 3

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VIDEOTAPES

Connections

Connections 2

Connections 3

After The Warming

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BOOKS

The Axemaker's Gift: Technology's Capture and Control of Our Minds and Culture

Circles: Fifty Round-Trips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture

Connections - (out of print)

The Day the Universe Changed

The Knowlegde Web: From Electronic Agents to Stonehenge and Back--And Other Journeys Through Knowledge

The Pinball Effect: How Renaissance Water Gardens Made the Carburetor Possible and Other Journeys Through Knowledge - (paperback)

The Pinball Effect: How Renaissance Water Gardens Made theCarburetor Possible and Other Journeys Through Knowledge - (hardcover)

Twin Tracks: The Unexpected Origins of the Modern World

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AUDIOTAPES

The Axemaker's Gift: A Double -Edged History of Human Culture

Connections

The Day the Universe Changed

The Pinball Effect: Journeys Through Knowledge - The Extraordinary Patterns of Change That Link Past, Present, and Future

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DIGITAL AUDIO CLIPS

audible.com


VISIT PALMER'S JAMES BURKE FAN COMPANION WEBSITE
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