80 second clip above This is a video of a rocket launch, and everyone has probably seen the footage at least once. Forty-five years after it first aired, viewers may still find themselves calling it “The Greatest Shot in Television History” after multiple viewings. In it, science historian James Burke writes, “Certain gases ignite, but a thermos allows you to safely store large quantities of gases in a frozen liquid state until you want to ignite them.” ” talks about how it works. If you take a large enough flask filled with hydrogen and oxygen, and design the gases to mix and emit light, the moment Burke points, a rocket will fire out from behind.
I’m impressed by Burke’s composure in discussing such technical issues in a shot that required perfect timing on the first and only take. What you need to see in context is that this movie starts with credit cards, and goes from knightly armor and canned goods to air conditioning and the Saturn V rocket that landed a man on the moon.
Officially speaking, this was a typical episode. connectionBurke’s 1978 television series that traces the most important and surprising movements in the evolution of science and technology throughout human history.
Although not as widely remembered as Carl Sagan, who came a little later, cosmos, connection Bear continues to be watched here repeatedly in the 21st century, especially for its intellectual and visual bravado exemplified by this “Best Shot on TV,” which currently has nearly 18 million views on Youtube. I am. If you watch it enough times for yourself, you’ll notice that Burke walks from one timeless shot to another, with a rocket already assembled and ready for launch, and also does a little magic trick. . However, that doesn’t change the feeling of accomplishment when the launch is over. “The destination is the moon, or Moscow,” Burke says, “or the planet, or Beijing.” This closing line sounded much more outdated a few years ago than it does today.
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Based in Seoul, Colin Mbemust write and broadcastIt’s about cities, languages and cultures. His projects include the Substack newsletter books about cities and a book Stateless City: A Stroll Through Los Angeles in the 21st Century. Follow him on Twitter @Colinbemust or facebook.
