James Burke’s Epic One-Shot Triumph: A Historic TV Moment Captured Perfectly

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  <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WoDQBhJCVQ">The 80-second clip above</a> captures a rocket launch, a scene that many of us have witnessed in various forms. Yet, what still earns it the title of "the greatest shot in television" decades after its initial broadcast, might require more than a single viewing to truly appreciate. In this scene, science historian James Burke discusses how specific gases ignite and how a thermos flask allows for the safe storage of large quantities of these gases in a frozen liquid state until ignition is desired. Fill a sufficiently large flask with hydrogen and oxygen, design it to mix these gases and ignite them, and “you get that” — the mighty rocket that launches precisely on cue as Burke gestures towards it.</p>

  <p>Burke's poise while describing such technical intricacies during a flawlessly timed, single-take shoot is truly impressive. However, without the broader context, viewers may not realize that this moment serves as the grand finale of a 50-minute explorative journey. This trek begins with credit cards and navigates through innovations ranging from a knight's armor to canned food, air conditioning, and ultimately the Saturn V rocket that propelled man to the moon.</p>

  <p>Formally speaking, this was a typical episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf02uWXhaGRng_YzH-Ser_VEV4lGSLX_1"><em>Connections</em></a>, Burke’s 1978 television series that traces pivotal and surprising developments in the evolution of science and technology throughout human history.</p>

  <p>Although not as widely recognized as Carl Sagan’s slightly later <em>Cosmos</em>, <em>Connections</em> remains a series well worth revisiting in the twenty-first century. It showcases intellectual and visual bravado, epitomized by this “greatest shot in television,” now viewed nearly 18 million times on YouTube. Watch it enough times, and you'll notice the subtle brilliance of Burke transitioning from a non-time-sensitive scene into another, perfectly framing the rocket ready for takeoff. Yet, this clever orchestration doesn’t dilute the sense of accomplishment as the launch occurs. "Destination: the moon, or Moscow," Burke narrates, "the planets, or Peking" — a closing line that has regained its relevance today.</p>

  <p><strong>Related Content:</strong></p>
  <ul>
    <li>Endeavour’s Launch Viewed from Booster Cameras</li>
    <li>The 100 Most Memorable Shots in Cinema Over the Past 100 Years</li>
    <li>The Most Beautiful Shots in Cinema History: Scenes from 100+ Films</li>
    <li>125 Great Science Videos: From Astronomy to Physics & Psychology</li>
  </ul>

  <p><em>Based in Seoul,</em> <a href="http://blog.colinmarshall.org/">Colin Marshall</a> <em>writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. His projects include the Substack newsletter</em> <a href="https://colinmarshall.substack.com/">Books on Cities</a> <em>and the book</em> The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles. <em>Follow him on Twitter at</em> <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmarshall">@colinmarshall</a> <em>or on</em> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/colinmarshallessayist">Facebook</a>.</p>

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