James Burke’s 1985 vision of the future went viral because he totally nailed it (albeit a bit too optimistic)
Here’s the great James Burke, who anyone of a certain age will remember from shows like Connections and his appearances on Tomorrow’s World, predicting what the future would look like back in 1985.
And it went viral because, well, just have a watch for yourself. It’s two minutes very well spent.
James Burke also did this – possibly the most prescient bit of TV ever produced. It explains, in < 4 minutes, exactly why technology has brought us to the current, turbulent situation in which we live today. Watch it. pic.twitter.com/pVtEaWNZRG
— Gary Brannan (@garybrannan) January 7, 2019
Just … amazing.
It's 1985. James Burke is walking around in some hills. And then he delivers a scintillating piece to camera about how politics is going to change in the digital age.
Totally. Crazy.pic.twitter.com/lX9z5o1p6i
— Carl Miller (@carljackmiller) April 28, 2019
Fascinating analysis but far too optimistic. The enlightened and good always underestimate the human capacity for sheer darkness and irrationalism.
What we have in fact is a digital Babel and a global system that copper-fastens appalling inequalities rather than Burke's utopia.
— Elinor Elliot #FBPE (@ElliotElinor) April 28, 2019
Jesus! He's nailed it.
Its almost errie with the accuracy from so long ago.
— Sicxpence (@sicxpence) April 28, 2019
He got just about everything right. Only one thing was wrong. Far from being a society united in being accepting of all views, we're more segmented and unaccepting of others than ever. You're never more than a single tweet away from being hung out to dry by some group or other.
— Andrew Webb (@yrtheyalltaken) April 28, 2019
GEEZER JUST DID ABOUT 12 ADAM CURTIS DOCS IN 2 MINUTES
— O (@WANDAGROUP) April 28, 2019
Remember the days when a TV broadcaster could offer a complex proposition in complex paragraphs and the audience could keep up.
— Graham Phillips (@ferryoons) April 28, 2019
I think they still can. JB was articulate, clear, and well-paced. He made it easier for the viewer to navigate.
— Raphaelite Girl (@Raphaelite_Girl) April 28, 2019
In case you were wondering …
That's from the BBC documentary series "The Day the Universe Changed"; still well worth watching. https://t.co/1juUoz5IRH
(In theory there's a DVD set but I've never found a copy; it is, of course, trivially easy to find ripped episodes on YouTube.)
— aka Steve (no chekists please, we're Canadian) (@Anton_P_Nym) April 28, 2019
And for more of this sort of thing, go here …
Currently watching this: and it’s brilliant. And really really relevant. And not just Anglo-centric. I’ve loved all of James Burke’s stuff, but this is something else. First Ep is here https://t.co/eEWjTqvF0D pic.twitter.com/7PvnQ8y2Nh
— Gary Brannan (@garybrannan) January 7, 2019
