BBC - The Day The Universe Changed, History, Science

The Day the Universe Changed (the 10-part series) is one of the best teaching tools available today for making students aware of the great ebb and flow of ideas that have gone into the development of Western thought. Host James Burke gives a stunning overview of this evolution of thought since the days of the Greeks in this ten-part series co-produced by BBC-TV and RKO Pictures. Episode 1 - The Way We Are Written and presented by James Burke, this 10-part series traces the development of Western thought through its major transformations since the days of ancient Greece. Program one is an overview of the series, showing how a cultureâ??s view of the world around it determines how it sees itself, and is reflected even in the smallest details of its customs and habits. Episode 2 - In the Light of the Above Relates that in the course of overrunning Moorish Spain, Christian Europe discovered libraries, universities, optics, mechanics, and natural philosophy. This rediscovery of classical knowledge led to the founding of universities and the replacement of Augustinian philosophies by Aristotelian theories. Episode 3 - Point of View Shows that Western Europeâ??s rediscovery of perspective through the study of Arab optics led to revolutions in art and architecture. The Westâ??s new-found ability to control things at a distance resulted in new methods of warfare and the confidence to make long voyages of exploration. Episode 4 - A Matter of Fact Observes that the invention of printing and the advent of cheap paper forever transformed the nature of knowledge from the local and traditional to the systematic and testable. Nationalism, public relations, and propaganda are among the results. Episode 5 - Infinitely Reasonable Notes that investigators such as Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton evolved better explanations of natural phenomena than those of Aristotle. Highlights the theories that led to a new conception of how the universe works and of manâ??s place in it. Episode 6 - Credit Where It's Due Locates the origins of contemporary consumerism in the English industrial Revolution, powered by religious dissenters barred from all activities except trade. The invention of the steam engine, new forms of credit, surplus wealth, and opening markets laid the foundation for industrial society. Episode 7 - What the Doctor Ordered Traces modern societyâ??s recognition of the value of statistics to medical advances stemming from responses to the French Revolution and an English cholera epidemic. Identifies the origins of medicine as a science with the discovery of anesthesia, antiseptics, and bacteriology. Episode 8 - Fit to Rule Tracks the expectation of change, fundamental to contemporary society, through the developing sciences of botany, geology, and biology to Darwinâ??s theory of evolution. Darwinâ??s theory, in turn, has been used as a justification for Nazism, communism, and cut-throat capitalism. Episode 9 - Making Waves Points out that studies of the properties of magnetism, electricity, and light have led scientists to the realization that Newtonian physics is inadequate to explain all that they observe. The public, meanwhile, has continued to concentrate on the technological by-products of science. Episode 10 - Worlds Without End Observes that over the centuries Western civilization has regularly shifted its conception of the nature of truth. Citing the example of Nepalese Buddhism, a system as complete and satisfactory of Nepal as science is for the West, the series ends with a plea for tolerance. Technical Specs Video Codec: XviD Video Bitrate: ~1900 kbps (TVcap) Video Resolution: 640x480 (1.33:1) Video Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Audio Codec: mp3 (MPEG-1 Layer 3) Audio BitRate: 192 kbps @ 48000 Hz Audio Channels: 96/ch, stereo RunTime Per Part: ~45 mins Number Of Parts: 10 Part Size: ~680 MB

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tech38 (2008-04-12)

Thanks a lot. I have been looking for this series.

wmikes (2008-08-18)

thank yoose for the most bestest searies of mans show.

admwest (2008-08-25)

This is bomb. I had to register just to thank you.
Greatly appreciated, one of the best documentaries from one of the best television networks. It?s a shame that my cable provider doesn?t provide BBC legitimately without first bundling it to dozens of other crappy channels.
All I need is ESPN, the History Channel, the BBC, Adult Swim and the Pirate Bay!

mais (2009-01-16)

thanx

wiruch (2009-03-22)

thank you very much, please seed

Bikerwade (2009-04-23)

Thanks!
I warmly recommend this!
A brilliantly narrated and illustrated summary of the real important scientific historical progress throught mankinds existance.
Rekommenderas varmt! En brilliant berättad och illustrerad sammanfattning om de verkliga vetenskapliga historiska faktorerna i förhållande till vårt samhälle

palefire78 (2009-07-21)

I've just finished watching this. Amazing stuff, has to be the best documentary series I've ever watched. Expansive, intelligent, witty, imaginative. Thanks a million for the torrent.

Abe Froman (2009-12-03)

James Burke is awesome.

Eddiehjjjfcfjfc (2010-02-07)

For those who don't know (I didn't) this documentary is very, very old. I don't know exactly how much so but it looks like it might have been made in the 1980s. I'm most of the way through the first episode and so far it is boring me to tears. The guy is droning on and on about common sense. I'm somebody who usually loves documentaries but this is damned hard to get into. But I'm still trying. Hopefully it will get more interesting.

ArmaniShowers (2010-03-15)

Thanks a ba-zillion for this! For those interested in the "historical" side of James Burke and his type of presentation, also check out the BBC series "Connections" (available from your local Pirate Bay).
As a teacher, I'd say Connections is "social studies" and TDtUC is "science".

ArmaniShowers (2010-03-15)

In response to Eddie above, yes. This series is over 20 years old at this point. Connections (from my previous comment) is older than that. However, both are extremely relevant. Do you throw away "old" history books? No, because they're about HISTORY!
Other than lacking references to computers and the Internet, you won't know the difference.

gtfunding (2010-05-10)

Although I would have to mostly agree with ArmaniShowers, I would say that the connections series's prospective is more the history of science with an analysis of the sociology involved with invention. Killer torrent my old copy just wore out.

MagicAPB (2010-11-26)

This series and this man set my mind on fire in the 80's and I haven't looked back since. Well, only to re-watch this and his connections series several times over.
Amazing trust me. Watch this and enjoy!

hammerheadieaglethrust (2011-04-04)

thanks a lot!

namshub (2011-08-11)

I love this series, and 'Connections'. On a different tack, Adam Curtis has a fascinating collection of documentaries, mostly about politics and economics, that I highly recommend.

ModerFukr (2012-09-17)

Episodes should be 52 minutes long, not 44:55. Some parts are missing, what a shame!

wretchedotis (2014-03-10)

thank you!