by Alice Day
synopsis
In the first Connections series, James Burke, genial author and science detective, sets out to present programs dealing with scientific advances. Taking what appear to be random items and occurrences, he takes the viewer back in time and across the continents to thread them all together. His highly successful formula can be mesmerizing for students and adults alike. In Connections: Countdown, Burke takes a carbon arc light, the coating of a pool ball, and a wheel with spokes, and winds up with the miracle of moving pictures. Along the way, he talks about George Eastman and Eadweard Muybridge.
