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James Burke Connections, Ep. 1 "The Trigger Effect"

DRS_Education · 765K views · 2019-01-16 · 49:22

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Overview

The first episode of James Burke's 1978 BBC series Connections traces modern dependence on complex technological networks, starting with the 1965 New York blackout, and moves through ancient agriculture to Kuwait's oil-driven leap.

On Hacker News

Heavily recommended as a masterpiece of popular science and the classic illustration of how fragile interdependent systems are, trotted out in every blackout or supply chain thread.

Recommended by 12 HN people across 11 months · HN mentions 2019–2026

Topics

Scientific method & science communicationDocumentaries & storytellingPower grid, heating & buildings
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james burkeconnections1965 blackoutinfrastructure fragilitybbc

What people said

jh00ker · 2026-05 · Strong recommendation

Connections is one of the greatest shows in television. The pilot episode is amazing, highlighting the problem with dependence on technology that we don't understand. "Never have so many people understood so little about so much." Even more true today. [VIDEO]

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DoubleDerper · 2022-09 · Strong recommendation

^^^ Thank you! ^^^ Came here to reccommend Connections by James Burke and glad to see someone else has mentioned it. It's a masterpiece of popular science production made better with the grainy film patina of the 70s and 80s. [VIDEO]

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jihadjihad · 2020-11 · Strong recommendation

For the uninitiated, Connections is a documentary series from the seventies exploring the interconnectedness of technology. In the first episode, titled "The Trigger Effect" [0], Burke shows that if electricity were taken away from us, we'd be sent back to the plow. It's a little dated (1978), but it's an excellent watch even today. [0] [VIDEO]

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Sources

Video by DRS_Education, played through YouTube.

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