James Burke (science historian)

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Image:James Burke.jpg James Burke (born November 22, 1936) is a British science historian, author and television producer best known for his documentary television series focusing on the history of science and technology leavened with a sense of humour.

Born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland and educated at Oxford, he received his MA from Jesus College. Later he moved to Italy where he lectured at universities in Bologna and Urbino as well as at English schools in that country.

During that time he was engaged in the creation of an English-Italian dictionary and the publication of an art encyclopedia. After a period of broadcasting work in 1966, he moved to London to join the BBC's Science & Features Dept. where he hosted and co-hosted a number of programmes. He was fascinated by the possibilities of television and the potential to educate and entertain by making programmes about science and technology.

Burke first made his name as a reporter on the popular and very long-running BBC science series, Tomorrow's World. He was BBC television's science anchor and chief reporter on the Project Apollo missions. However, the prestige output of the BBC Features Department in the 1970s was the "epic 13-parter" dominated by one charismatic and scholarly figure, epitomised by Sir Kenneth Clark's Civilisation and Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man. Burke pushed hard to follow in their footsteps -- and he succeeded brilliantly, producing his most important work; a highly-acclaimed 10-part documentary series Connections (1979) that was first aired on the BBC, and subsequently on PBS channels in the US. The series was a great success for Burke. Later, it was shown in more than 50 countries and appeared in about 350 university and college curricula. Additionally, the book that followed the series was also a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic. Burke has also been a regular contributor for Scientific American and Time magazines and served as a consultant to the SETI project.

Television series and major single documentaries made by James Burke:

The Burke Special (1972-1976)
The Real Thing on various aspects of perception
The Neuron Suite on the human brain
Connections
The Day the Universe Changed
Masters of Illusion on Renaissance painting
After the Warming on the greenhouse effect
Connections 2 (sometimes written Connections²)
Connections 3 (or Connections³)

His books (in order):

Tomorrow's World I
Tomorrow's World II
Connections
The Day the Universe Changed
Chances
The Axemaker's Gift (with Robert Ornstein)
The Pinball Effect
The Knowledge Web
Circles
Twin Tracks
American Connections (scheduled for publication in 2006)

James Burke is the leading figure of the KnowledgeWeb Project. This is the digital incarnation of his books and television programmes, which allows the user to fly through history and create their own connective paths. It will eventually have immersive, inhabited virtual reality recreations of historical people and places.

In the closing scenes of The Day the Universe Changed, Burke suggested that a forthcoming revolution in communication and computer technology would allow people all over the world to exchange ideas and opinions instantaneously. Subsequent events seem to have proven him right. His views of the connected nature of history have also been substantiated by recent research in chaos/complexity/network theory. See for example complex systems and Six degrees of separation.

In the closing episode of Connections 1 (1979) he offers multiple choices for future development of humanity and paints some grim consequences for the path we seem to have taken, namely to carry on what we always did.

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Trivia

James Burke appears in the lyrics of The Human League song "The Black Hit of Space," a 1980 sci-fi-tinged single about a hit song "sucking up the human race." The lyrics urge, "get James Burke on the case."

Burke is an accomplished bridge player.

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