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James Burke (born 22 December 1936) is a British broadcaster, science historian, author, and television producer. He was one of the main presenters of the
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
science series ''
Tomorrow's World
''Tomorrow's World'' is a former British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The ''Tomorro ...
'' from 1965 to 1971 and created and presented the television series ''
Connections'' (1978), and its more philosophical sequel ''
The Day the Universe Changed
''The Day the Universe Changed: A Personal View by James Burke'' is a British documentary television series written and presented by science historian James Burke, originally broadcast on BBC1 from 19 March until 21 May 1985 by the BBC. The ser ...
'' (1985), about the
history of science and technology
The history of science and technology (HST) is a field of history that examines the understanding of the natural world (science) and the ability to manipulate it (technology) at different points in time. This academic discipline also studies the c ...
. ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' has called him "one of the most intriguing minds in the Western world".
Biography
Burke was born in
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
, Northern Ireland. He was educated at
Maidstone Grammar School
Maidstone Grammar School (MGS) is a grammar school in Maidstone, England. The school was founded in 1549 after Protector Somerset sold Corpus Christi Hall on behalf of King Edward VI to the people of Maidstone for £200. The Royal Charter fo ...
, and then served in the RAF from 1957 to 1959 before being accepted at
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...
, where he studied
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
, obtaining both B.A. and
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
degrees. Upon graduation he moved to Italy, where at the British School in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
he was lecturer in English and director of studies, 1961–63. He also lectured at the
University of Urbino
The University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" ( it, Università degli Studi di Urbino "Carlo Bo", ''UniUrb'') is an Italian university located in Urbino, a walled hill-town in the region of Marche, located in the north-eastern part of central Italy. The ...
. Thereafter he was headmaster of the English School in Rome, 1963–65. He was involved in the creation of an English–Italian dictionary, and the publication of an art encyclopedia.
Burke's entry into television was explained by
''People'' magazine in 1979: "Television beckoned by chance one day on a Rome bus. Spotting an ad for a reporter for the local bureau of Britain's
Granada Television
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was it ...
, he says, 'I decided if the bus stopped at the next corner I would get off and apply for the job.' It did, he did, and the next thing he knew 'we went straight off to Sicily to do a series on the Mafia.'"
In 1966, he moved to London and joined the Science and Features Department of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, for which he was host or co-host of several programmes. He also worked as an instructor in English as a Foreign Language at the Regency Language School in
Ramsgate
Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
.
Burke established his reputation as a reporter on the
BBC1
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
science series ''
Tomorrow's World
''Tomorrow's World'' is a former British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The ''Tomorro ...
'' and went on to present ''
The Burke Special''. He was BBC television's science anchorman and chief reporter for the
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
missions, as the main presenter of the
BBC's coverage of the first moon landing in 1969.
In collaboration with
Mick Jackson, he produced the ten-part documentary series ''
Connections'' (1978), which was broadcast on the BBC, and subsequently on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
in the United States. ''Connections'' traced the historical relationships between invention and discovery: each episode chronicled a particular path of technological development. ''Connections'' was the most-watched PBS television series up to that time. It was followed by the twenty-part ''Connections
2'' (1994) and the ten-part ''Connections
3'' (1997). ''Connections: An Alternative View of Change'' was broadcast in more than fifty countries and the companion book ''Connections: An Alternative History of Technology'' (1978) sold well. In 1980, Burke created and Jackson produced the six-part BBC series ''The Real Thing'', about perception.
In 1985, Burke, with Richard Reisz and John Lynch, produced the ten-part television series ''
The Day the Universe Changed
''The Day the Universe Changed: A Personal View by James Burke'' is a British documentary television series written and presented by science historian James Burke, originally broadcast on BBC1 from 19 March until 21 May 1985 by the BBC. The ser ...
'' (revised 1995), focusing on the philosophical aspects of scientific change in
Western culture
Leonardo da Vinci's ''Vitruvian Man''. Based on the correlations of ideal Body proportions">human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise ''De architectura''.
image:Plato Pio-Cle ...
.
Burke has been a regular writer for ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
'' and ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', and a consultant to the
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a collective term for scientific searches for intelligent extraterrestrial life, for example, monitoring electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other p ...
project.
Burke received the gold and the silver medals of the
Royal Television Society. In 1998 he was made an honorary fellow of the
Society for Technical Communication
The Society for Technical Communication (STC) is a professional association dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practice of technical communication with more than 4,500 members in the United States, Canada, and the world. The society pu ...
.
Burke has contributed to podcasts, such as in 2008 when he appeared on ''Hardcore History'' with
Dan Carlin
Dan Carlin (born November 14, 1965) is an American podcaster and political commentator. Previously a professional radio host, Carlin hosts three popular independent podcasts: ''Hardcore History'', ''Hardcore History: Addendum'', and ''Common ...
, and in 2016 on ''Common Sense'' with Dan Carlin, and to newspaper articles including two series for the ''Mogollon Connection'' by
Jesse Horn, one focusing on the nature of morality, the other on the future of our youth.
Burke presented a monologue ''James Burke on the End of Scarcity'', first broadcast on
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
on 26 December 2017, in which he predicted
nanotech
Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
-manufacturing would revolutionize the world economy and society. He has been writing his current book, ''Culture of Scarcity'', since 2017.
In a May 2020 interview, Burke said that he was writing a new ''Connections'' book, which would be the basis for a new television series titled ''Connections 21'', slated to air in January 2022.
''Knowledge Web''
Burke is the leading figure in the development of the ''Knowledge Web'', the planned digital realization of his books and television programmes, which would allow the user to travel through history and create his or her own connections. Eventually, the project may feature immersive virtual-reality historical recreations of people, places, and events.
In 2019 he produced a series of five 15-minute programmes for
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
with the title ''James Burke's Web of Knowledge'', in each of which he traced the connections between two widely separated people or themes, the first programme connecting
Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
to the
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
.
Predictions
In an article for the ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...
'' in 1973, Burke predicted the widespread use of computers for business decisions, the creation of metadata banks of personal information, and changes in human behaviour, such as greater willingness to reveal personal information to strangers. In an interview on the ''
PM'' programme on BBC Radio 4 on 30 August 2013, Burke discussed his predictions of a
post-scarcity economy
Post-scarcity is a theoretical economic situation in which most goods can be produced in great abundance with minimal human labor needed, so that they become available to all very cheaply or even freely.
Post-scarcity does not mean that scarc ...
driven by advances in
nanofactories, which he believes may be viable by the year 2043.
Burke posed at least one of his predictions as a question. In ''Connections'', he notes that the increase in connections over time causes the rate of innovation to
accelerate
In mechanics, acceleration is the rate of change of the velocity of an object with respect to time. Accelerations are vector quantities (in that they have magnitude and direction). The orientation of an object's acceleration is given by the ...
, and asks what happens when this rate, or more importantly "change" itself, becomes
too much for the average person to handle. He also questions what this would mean for individual power, liberty, and privacy.
In the conclusion of ''Connections'', Burke said that computing and communications might be controlled by a
computer science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...
élite. Later, he suggested at the conclusion of ''The Day the Universe Changed'' that a worldwide revolution in communications and computer technology would allow people to instantaneously exchange ideas and opinions.
Television credits
Television series and documentaries by Burke:
* ''
Tomorrow's World
''Tomorrow's World'' is a former British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The ''Tomorro ...
'' (1966–1971)
* ''Paid Off'', a three-part series about employment (1967)
* ''Intimate Relations'', a three-part series about doctor-patient relations (1968)
* ''The End of the Beginning'' (1972), about the end of the
Project Apollo space programme
* ''
The Burke Special'' (1972–1976)
* ''Stump the Scientist'' (1974), featuring an audience of children who questioned a panel of scientists in the hope of presenting a question they could not answer
* ''The Inventing of America'' (1976), NBC–BBC co-production for the
U.S. Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...
, co-hosted by Burke and
Raymond Burr
Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''.
Burr's early acting career included roles ...
* ''Scenario: The Oil Game'' (1976), crisis game examining
OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, ) is a cartel of countries. Founded on 14 September 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela), it has, since 1965, been headquart ...
* ''Scenario: The Peace Game'' (1977), crisis game examining
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
* ''
Connections'' (1978)
* ''The Men who Walked on the Moon'' (1979), a 10th anniversary review of the flight of
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...
* ''The Other Side of the Moon'' (1979), a critical examination of the Apollo space programme
* ''The Real Thing'' (1980), about human
perception
Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous system ...
* ''The Neuron Suite'', about the
human brain
The human brain is the central organ of the human nervous system, and with the spinal cord makes up the central nervous system. The brain consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. It controls most of the activities of the ...
(1982)
* MacGillivray Freeman's
''Speed'' (IMAX) (1984), as the narrator
* ''
The Day the Universe Changed
''The Day the Universe Changed: A Personal View by James Burke'' is a British documentary television series written and presented by science historian James Burke, originally broadcast on BBC1 from 19 March until 21 May 1985 by the BBC. The ser ...
'' (1985, 1995)
* ''After the Warming'' (1989), about the
greenhouse effect
The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when energy from a planet's host star goes through the planet's atmosphere and heats the planet's surface, but greenhouse gases in the atmosphere prevent some of the heat from returning directly ...
* ''Masters of Illusion'' (1993), about
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
painting
* ''Connections²'' (1994)
* ''Connections³'' (1997)
* ''ReConnections'' (2004)
''ReConnections'' from KCSM
via the Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...
Books
*''Tomorrow's World I'', with Raymond Baxter
Raymond Frederic Baxter OBE (25 January 1922 – 15 September 2006) was an English television presenter, commentator and writer. He is best known for being the first presenter of the BBC Television science programme ''Tomorrow's World'', con ...
, (BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
1970)
*''Tomorrow's World II'', with Raymond Baxter, (BBC 1973)
*''Connections: Alternative History of Technology'' (Time Warner International/