Web of Knowledge

[ardcarp]

I find the short 1.45 slot on Radio 4 this week quite diverting. It's delivered at breakneck pace by James Burke (he of Tomorrow's World) and whilst he skims the surface of many ideas cultural, scientific and philosophical, a certain humour derives from finding connections between the apparently unrelated.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000256b

...including a bit of CPE Bach today.

[gradus]

Heard the first one and thought it wonderful and highly recommendable.

[edashtav]

Heard the first one and thought it wonderful and highly recommendable.

I concur with one resevation: the breakneck delivery speed which ardcarp mentioned.

[Belgrove]

James Burke used the same format in a late 1970's TV series called Connections, which my scientific friends found risible. I thought he cheated in Tuesday's programme in connecting Joseph Priestley to James Cook, by virtue of Priestley not being on the HMS Resolution.

[ardcarp]

Yes. Perhaps it doesn't bear very close scrutiny...but as I mentioned, it is diverting! Interesting bloke though, Priestley, especially for his forward looking (and bordering on the illegal) social views. I think Lavoisier probably shared in the 'discovery' of oxygen.

[JimD]

There are three contenders if you count Scheele. Depends how you interpret 'Discovery'.

[Lat-Literal]

This is fantastic radio and, as such, a very rare treat.

Tbh, I didn't realise he was still alive.

It is a pity that it wasn't this programme which replaced "Letter From America" many years ago.

Same sort of time length; same sort of standard!

[ardcarp]

This is fantastic radio and, as such, a very rare treat.

Tbh, I didn't realise he was still alive.

It is a pity that it wasn't this programme which replaced "Letter From America" many years ago.

Same sort of time length; same sort of standard!

I agree, Lats. Mind you, it was a very different sort of programme in which Alistair Cook took one aspect of US life and expounded upon it thoughtfully and in depth! Maybe if the BBC had replaced it with 'A Letter from Europe' things might have turned out differently.

[Lat-Literal]

I agree, Lats. Mind you, it was a very different sort of programme in which Alistair Cook took one aspect of US life and expounded upon it thoughtfully and in depth! Maybe if the BBC had replaced it with 'A Letter from Europe' things might have turned out differently.

I would not have minded "A Letter From Europe" or even an ongoing "Letter From America" in the right hands. Perhaps had Charles Wheeler been younger although it would not have been the same. Yes I do agree on the differences as well as the similarities. Oddly, though, I always expected there to be an element of circularity in LFA so that it ended near to the point that it began but it rarely seemed to. The difference between a letter and an essay perhaps. I feel that Web of Knowledge also has this false lead - it doesn't return to point one.