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Welcome to: THE JAMES BURKE FAN COMPANION NEWSLETTER 08 - AUGUST 2002:
This newsletter and previous ones are available on-line as web pages at: 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 the 8th issue of the James Burke Fan Companion news update. Please let me apologize for the delay in sending this issue out to you. I have been on a 5000+ mile road trip to California and back over the last two weeks and was unable to gather all of the information for the news update prior to my departure. That being the case, I am going to split the information I wanted to place in the current issue between it and the one that will follow in a couple of weeks. This news update will contain mostly editorial information, which I managed to write before leaving. The next issue will contain mostly links and books of interest I have found. Now, without further delay, here is the news.
JBFC WEBSITE NEWS
This month's addition to the James Burke Fan Companion site is the result of a gentleman named Darce Weber who wrote in regarding the music contained in the Connections television programs. His letter follows: I have an unusual question that I hope you can help me with. One of the features that I really liked about "Connections" was the use a various pieces of classical music (which, lamentably, is a device he does not employ anymore). When I first saw the series I assumed it was all original music - but through these years as I explored classical music on my own I would recognize bits and pieces used by JB in the series. By now I know most of the names of the music used, but there still is a tantalizing amount of music wherein I cannot identify the composer or work. Thus my unusual question - is there a place that has listed the bits and pieces of music used in the series? I realize that this list is over 25 years old, but it must exist. I suspect that James might have it (being a musician himself - did he have a hand in selecting the pieces?), or perhaps the production company or Messrs. Jackson or Kennard might have it somewhere. Could you possibly direct me in the right direction? Amongst all the web sites devoted to Burkian Connections I see little discussion about the production of the show (and such minor but intriguing things like the music used, or some of the elaborate historical re-creations staged). I was hoping that some Burke/music fan had sat down and listed the music, but I have not yet found such a site or list. I would be grateful to any help/guidance/directions you can offer.
Many thanks" You may locate this page at: www.fantasticplaces.com/jamesburke/burke_music.html There is an open invitation for you to contribute to this area. If you can accurately identify any of the tunes played in any the James Burke videos, please e-mail me (info@fantasticplaces.com) and let me know the title, composer and video segment in which it can be heard. You will be given credit for your contribution.
BURKE NEWS James writes in to let me know that the manuscript for his latest book has been completed and was sent off to the publisher. Mr. Burke also recently visited the United States to review the progress on his Knowledge Web system. While in California he gave a brief talk in San Jose on August 4th.
--------- The following are two 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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--------- 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
--------- As always, Mr. Burke would appreciate 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: Mr. Burke does has an informational website in place now that begins to describe the project. You can visit it at:
WEBMASTER NEWS As I mentioned, I have just returned from a lengthy road trip from Kansas City to San Francisco, then down to San Diego and back. Along the way, I had the opportunity to visit a number of amazing places I had never explored before. I would like to take a moment to share my experiences, because I think they will be of some interest. My first stop of great interest was the famous aquarium in Monterey. It really was quite impressive (although I am partial to the aquariums in the cities where I have previously lived -- the Shedd in Chicago and the Birch in San Diego). I particularly enjoyed the jellyfish exhibit at this facility. The middle portion of my trip was the most spectacular. This involved visiting Hearst Castle, Universal Studios CityWalk and Las Vegas. It was at these places I received a taste of the grandiose. First, was the William Randolph Hearst estate, a small city on a hill that Mr. Hearst called "home". You could liken it to a modern day resort, except that all the surfaces and fixtures were bone fide pieces of world-class art. This private palace resembles many of the European locations Mr. Hearst visited as a child. It was used as a place to entertain noted individuals from the worlds of entertainment, government and industry. It impresses, to say the least. Next was Universal Studios' CityWalk area, that is placed along side the theme-park entrance. It is basically a shopping center, but it's facade is every bit in line with the rest of the park. Everything was enormous and visually stimulating. Every object was gigantic, as if the entire mall had been designed by Claes Oldenburg. It was quite breathtaking and absolutely fun to walk around in. Quite frankly, I wondered who could have built such a place. But THEN there was Las Vegas. Just try to imagine placing Hearst Castle and the CityWalk into a blender. What you get is a place that twists the mind in its scale and outlandishness. Imagine William Randolph Hearst building Disneyland. That's what it's like. My first drive down the strip left me thinking that this surely must be the most fantastic place on the planet. After a while, I thought better of that position. However, it "might" be the most awesome man-made structure in the Western Hemisphere. It's simply unbelievable. Like Hearst Castle, they have duplicated important chunks of far away places. The Eiffel Tower and Arch of Triumph. The New York City skyline, complete with Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. Buildings from Venice, including canals and gondolas. Pyramids. Castles. Floating pirate ships. Roman statues. It is a technological, architectural and engineering marvel. Both inside and out. Of course, the people visiting Las Vegas didn't seem to look as if they came from Paris or Venice or Rome or Egypt. More like Indianapolis. And I don't remember hearing anything about slot machines in the real Coliseum. But I could be mistaken. In spite of the anachronisms and all of its other faults, its a place you have to appreciate. One could mention the "connections" that converge in these places, but to do so would surely fill a book. There were three other places I went that filled my quota of art and fantasy. First was the International Comic-Con in San Diego. It is the world's biggest "comic book" convention and features the work of some of the most fantastic illustrators and creative artists around. If you are looking for people with "imagination", this is where they can be found. My second spot, containing some of the most natural beauty on the trip was Sedona, Arizona. I had never visited this place, but it was well worth the detour. Unfortunately, I did not have time to explore the Red Rocks national park, but I got a taste of it by observing the monumental red formations that surrounded the city. Last of all, I spent a few hours in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (How can you not?) To me, Santa Fe just feels great. It looks great, smells great and tastes great, too. All of the tan adobe houses with their rich blue trim. Its SO colorful. Really beautiful. A feast for the senses. It's a piece of art that artists can live in. So that's it in a nutshell. I highly recommend these places to anyone with a curious mind, an eye for beauty or an appreciation of great effort.
TV SCHEDULE (UPCOMING) --------- You should have these programs memorized (or at least videotaped) by now! The Connections 2 & 3 series continue to be rebroadcast on The (Discovery) Science Channel through August! science.discovery.com/schedule/series.jsp?series=46
Connections 2 - The Science Channel - Now thru at least Aug. 21, 2002
Connections 3 - The Science Channel - Now thru at least Aug. 31, 2002
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.
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. It appears that people are slowly warming up to the Yahoo group. Please use it and keep it in mind. alt.fan.james-burke groups.yahoo.com/group/connectionswithjamesburke/
PREFACE: REFLECTIONS ON CONNECTIONS In writing the following essay, a number of viewpoints and ideas have presented themselves. The result has been to watch the "connections" principle as it acts upon itself. Or rather to see the principle in action as it relates to the work that Mr. Burke has already produced concerning the subject. A few weeks ago, I sent Mr. Burke a draft of what you are about to read, with no real expectation as to what he would do with it. A little time passed and when Mr. Burke had a free moment, he reviewed what I had written. He responded politely as he always does and made a comment or two about my "interpretation" of his work. He briefly mentioned that what I had written, while being fine in itself, was not the way he personally viewed his own work. This highlighted an interesting situation. First off, I obviously wondered what Mr. Burke's true view of "connections" is, especially after all the thought I had put into the matter so far. If you are like a lot of Mr. Burke's fans, you have probably gotten most of your information about the "connections" process by watching the television programs, where the process is demonstrated through example, but never really discussed outright in detail. Or at least as far as I personally know. I have to admit that that I have only read one of the books (The Axemaker's Gift) and have listened to the Connections 1 and Day The Universe Changed audio books. It is quite possible that James has discussed the "connections" principle itself in a printed source I have yet to be exposed to. Or I could be getting middle-aged and forgetful. If so, please forgive me. However, without a clear and well-defined description of Mr. Burke's "connections" principle, everyone who is exposed to it must create their own interpretation of what it means and how it works. This is precisely what I have had to do as I have attempted to "reverse-engineer" Mr. Burke's thought processes, using my own knowledge and experience as a basis. What I would like to stress is that this is exactly how the "connections" process itself works in everyday life. Ideas are released and intercepted by people, who then reinterpret them to fit their own particular personal worlds. In this case, Mr. Burke has released his idea of "connections" to a mass audience and that information is now being absorbed and personalized by each member of his audience. I find it fascinating that like so many of the individuals in history Mr. Burke has commented on and connected together, he and his materials are now undergoing the exact process he has described. People are now embracing and building on his work, adding their own unique twists as they do. As a result of reading my essay, I think James may provide a bit of clarity regarding his view of "connections". When he does, I will publish it here for all of you to consider. In the mean time, I invite all of you out there to send in your own personal interpretations of what the "connections" principle is and what it means. I will likewise publish those thoughts here and on the website.
EDITORIAL: THE FOUNDATIONS OF "BURKESPACE" An interpretation of Burke's "connections" concept by Tom Palmer
The following material is somewhat related to the article in the previous newsletter called "Thinking Connectively". In this essay, I will take a look at the fundamental medium in which "Connections" happen, which (for lack of a better term) I will refer to as "BurkeSpace". If you have ever watched the opening sequence of a Connections 2 program, this will be a lot like a description of what you see going on there. A number of months ago, when I first thought about putting together a "Be Like Burke" area, I sat down and tried to explain the whole Connections concept to myself. I found that I could easily visualize the process, but I could not come up with a simple verbal explanation that summed it all up nicely. It was easy enough to look at the books and programs and make a list of all the various elements Mr. Burke connected together. But it was much harder to say "this is the way it works". For one thing, there are simply too many different types of connections between things to come up with an "explains-everything-at-once" description. And ideas, while similar in nature to some examples you could site, in the end have their own unique behavior that is not quite like anything else. Ideas, their manifestation and their transmission are central to the Connections concept. Burke's materials are all about how ideas continually emerge to change the world. But new ideas are often a response to social and environmental conditions. So you also have to factor in the world that people exist in and how it works.
Therefore I was driven to examine the universe of Connections at the most fundamental level I could imagine and look for some clarity and enlightenment there. While this did provide some insights, nothing has worked better than the act of watching Connections on TV. However, I still think a knowledge of the basic elements will add some richness to your outlook on connectivity. So here goes. (If you get bored, confused, or this seems like unintelligible rambling, read the last few paragraphs.) First, let's create an overview of the "connections" process. What we see here are the actions of people, plus natural events, taking place over time. But these are not isolated incidents happening in a vacuum. Because all objects in the Universe have the power to affect the things around them (i.e. the things they are physically, energetically or conceptually "connected" to --- picture the lines of an "airline destination chart"), objects and people are constantly influencing each other. Every item in the Universe is connected to every other item, either directly or indirectly, and this forms a giant web-like structure of interactions.
Here are some examples that might help you to imagine the way connections exist between things. A. A series of falling dominoes, one pushing over the next. B. A chainlink fence, where there are many points in which wires intersect. C. A spider web, where the movements of trapped insects are relayed to he spider in the middle. D. A "tinker-toy" assembly, with many interconnected pieces. E. The collection of interconnected springs in a mattress, that help distribute a sleeper's weight. The point I am trying to illustrate here is that everything we know of is tied together in an invisible network where energy and information are passed along (over the course of history) from one thing to another. (Remember, connections are INVISIBLE. They are hidden away, out of sight in the past, like the genetic contributions of your ancestors. The clues are there, but you have to be a detective to find them. There is no "routing label" on most things to tell you where they have been and who has interacted with them. That's why history books are written.) While an appreciation of history's web-like nature is important, the most crucial thing to understand about it is this: A. each object in the web CHANGES as in intercepts energy and information, and B. the traveling energy or information itself is modified as it passes through an object on it's way to the next object. These conditions are due to the way people, artificial structures and items in nature deal with the events that happen to them. (Here, you might want to think a little bit about the classic "Mousetrap" board game, or a Rube Goldberg-style contraption. James' metaphor of a ball in a pinball machine is also good.)
So, most objects are in the state of either reacting to an event or are initiating a new one. As a result, change, after change, after change spreads out in all directions along the Universe's many "connections" at every moment. Influences pile up. Events compound. Information transmutes. Innovation results. And history is made.
First, there is the PHYSICAL UNIVERSE. It contains the aspects of SPACE and TIME, without which there would be no place for objects to exist nor the ability for changes to occur. The Physical Universe also contains PHYSICAL LAWS which control and limit the way things in the Universe behave. The independent realm of MATHEMATICS also contributes an unyielding force on the existence of things. Secondly, there is MATTER and ENERGY. Connections are totally reliant upon these. Matter makes up all of the objects that we physically interact with, which consists of every object that can be changed, or is instrumental in causing change. Energy is the force that motivates and inflicts change upon Matter. It is also the means by which change is transmitted. The structure of Matter and the flow of Energy constitute the web of "connections" we see at work in Space and Time. Third, there are PEOPLE, which have BODIES and MINDS. Bodies give conscious Minds a physical presence in Space, the ability to sense objects, and the power to manipulate the environment. Minds, in turn, identify what the Body senses, orient themselves to the world, make decisions, create plans, and use the Body to take action. Minds process and act on INFORMATION in an attempt to create a comfortable existence. Minds are capable of LEARNING. Without the consciousness of the Mind, a discussion of "connections" would be both impossible and pointless. Since the world of "connections" is only significant to People, what happens to them and what they do is of major importance. People are just one small part of the connected objects in the Universe. But as far as we are concerned, this is where our focus lies. In a discussion of historical connections, we are mostly concerned with how the external Universe affects People and with the consequences of People's actions on each other.
(I must, however, inject one last point, and that is to mention the recent introduction of COMPUTERS. Computers have the ability to house virtual Minds and Universes, each with their own rules, qualities and behaviors. Since we interact with Computers, we are forced to include all of the potential influences they represent in our lives. Such influences, which are subject to "creativity", could become extremely foreign to our native existence and have a markedly dramatic effect.)
IDEAS (concepts, dreams) are the intangible products of the conscious Mind and it's ability to understand. OBJECTS (geography, organisms, artifacts) are the identifiable physical forms in the Universe, made up of various types of Matter. EVENTS (natural, social, virtual) are the changes that occur in the Universe over Time according to the Laws of Physics or the rules of an artificial system. When you are looking for things to connect, and ways to connect them together, this is where you search. Everything in Burke's various Connections series (and companion texts), The Day The Universe Changed and The Axemaker's Gift is about Ideas, Objects and Events and how they have changed People. Ideas, Objects and Events are what people have in common and what motivates social and technological change to happen. (People are, of course, the primary focus of most "connections" stories. To chart a historical pathway, you will need to locate the Ideas, Objects and Events that people have shared in. Fortunately, individuals are exposed to a large number of Ideas, Objects and Events during the course of their lives, making them quite multi-faceted. This is why People make the best kinds of intersections in the web, while Ideas, Objects and Events make the best connecting links.) Secondarily, you can combine Ideas, Objects and Events to look at more specific kinds of connections. Think again of the triangle diagram I mentioned previously. Contemplate the sides. The side that shares the qualities of both an IDEA and an OBJECT would have to do with a "STRUCTURE". This would be the idea of an object's form: a plan or conceptual model. The IDEA/EVENT side of the triangle would relate to a "PROCESS". This would be a description of some kind of change. The OBJECT/EVENT side would reflect the nature of a "FUNCTION". This would show how a Structure and a Process could come together to bring about a result.
In his television programs and books, Burke often goes into detail concerning Structures, Processes, and the way inventions are designed to Function. All of these are significant to people in the way they are applied and the effect that they have.
You have the Universe. Material objects are floating around in Space and are capable of changing over Time. Change is a Process that happens according to Physical Laws (and possibly Mathematics). Every Object has a Structure which determines its ability to perform a Function. Energy is actively flowing through the Universe and when it encounters an Object, it causes the Object to change in some manner. This change alters the relative balance of the Objects in the Universe. Over the course of Time material Objects come in contact with each other and transfer Energy according to their Structures and subsequent Functions. This brings about a change in the form, composition, state or position of every Object involved. And so on... like balls on a billiards table, where you can follow the balls around and see how they affect one another. Then you introduce People, with Minds, into the Universe, who can make changes based on Intelligence. Objects and Energy have an influence on People, causing them to react and adapt according to Human Behavior and the resources at hand. People also influence one another, and for a multitude of "reasons". This, too, causes individuals to react and adapt. The more People that exist, the more complex the interactions between them become. The one constant, however, is Human Behavior, which is slow to evolve. (Picture a flock of flying birds, or school of swimming fish, with each member running the same instinctual program.) But, augmenting that, is Knowledge, which allows basic Human Behavior to express itself in new and different ways. People have the ability to learn, and as new Knowledge is introduced, individuals can take new actions that result in new consequences. The most significant new action People have taken is to develop Tools and Technology which extends and increases their capabilities. This does not happen in isolated cases, but instead happens everywhere, all of the time. Knowledge is communicated to large percentages of the population and each Person takes action, using what he or she has learned, according to his or her unique set of circumstances. As Knowledge transforms the world, the Brains of each new generation optimize themselves to the conditions they grow up in. Humanity keeps improving and becomes more and more capable of utilizing (and building upon) the things it has created in the past.
The process of identifying historic "connections" is an attempt to follow specific environmental and interpersonal events and see how individuals react to them, which causes a change to be passed on, and is then reacted to by others. During the Connections process we mostly watch to see how people react to events and what they do to resolve situations. This becomes new knowledge and is used by new people in new ways. It is this sequence of encountering, reacting, adapting and releasing that we follow from one interesting situation to the next. The point of the Connections process is to demonstrate the diversity of influences that can produce a specific result. We live in a Universe, filled with material Objects and Energy, both of which are governed by the Laws of Physics. The Objects in the Universe often interact (collide) and exchange energy, which brings about changes in them. It is possible to follow the paths of Objects, witness a series of interactions between them, and observe the resulting changes. However, the Universe also contains People who can interact with Objects and each other using Knowledge. People use their Intelligence to cause changes that go far beyond the simple interactions of natural Objects. People are also pro-active and don't wait for natural events to motivate their activities. Because People can learn, their ability to cause change is constantly increasing. With Knowledge as an added factor, following a trail of interactions becomes significantly more complex. Not only do you have to observe a series of events, you also have to review the information that People have used to consciously bring about changes. The thoughts in People's Minds (and the physical expression of those ideas) become a paramount issue.
In the end, the Connections principle deals with the nature of People and how they use Information to change the world. It is all about how People process ideas in an attempt to adapt. Otherwise this would be a simple exercise in observing Newtonian Physics. But there is another layer as well, and that involves the communication of ideas and how separate ideas interact to become new ideas. Instead of watching Objects bounce around the external Universe, we are watching ideas bounce around the collective human Mind. As this happens Ideas spill out of the Mind into the Universe and are then encountered and reabsorbed. Please allow me to employ another giant analogy: the telephone system. If you really want to understand modern life, you have to look at the telephone system that connects a vast number of individuals and allows them to communicate. That is kind of what we have done in this essay. In our case, we have simply not looked at a series of telephone calls between people. We have looked at the underlying system that makes communications possible. We have taken note of the receivers and the wires and the switches and the power source, all of which are unnecessary details if you are only interested in the calls people make. But if you are serious about telephone communications as a whole, then you have to consider the infrastructure. But, on the opposite end of the situation you also have to consider the information going across the line and the system that generates it. This would include: the person's mind, the concepts that mind understands about the world, the individual's emotional attitudes, the language he or she thinks in, and that person's ability to speak. It's not enough to state that Person A called Person B. You really have to say something like: There is a national telephone system. Anyone with a telephone can call anyone else. Person A owns a telephone and has an account. So does Person B. Person A wants to share some recent personal experiences with Person B and get their reaction . Person A picks up a powered telephone handset and establishes an electrical circuit in the system. Person A enters Person B's telephone number and the system sends a signal to Person B's telephone. It rings. Person B answers and begins a conversation with Person A. They talk about the weather. They talk about the news. They talk about their mutual friends. They make plans. (These bits of information are their "connections".) They end their conversation, hang up and close the circuit. The telephone company makes a record of the call. Someone is billed. As a result of the conversation, attitudes and perceptions have been changed. New information is being contemplated. Later, Person B calls Person C and mentions some of the details Person A has discussed. Of course, Person B puts their own "spin" on Person A's information. And so on. This is how people's lives (and ideas) are subtly changed. And it happens millions of times a day, all across the globe. It's the same in "BurkeSpace".
EBAY LISTINGS (CURRENTLY UP FOR SALE) As found on eBay August 13, 2002 www.ebay.com --------- BOOKS The Knowledge Web - 1 copy
--------- Connections: A Mind Game - 2 copies
DVD, VIDEO, BOOK, AUDIOBOOK LIST (ORDER ON-LINE) --------- DVDS
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--------- The Axemaker's Gift: Technology's Capture and Control of Our Minds and Culture Circles: Fifty Round-Trips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture Twin Tracks: The Unexpected Origins of the Modern World
--------- The Axemaker's Gift: A Double -Edged History of Human Culture
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