Auto Racing: Making Connections
One of my favorite TV shows of years past (I ain’t sayin’ how past) was Connections.
It was a serial documentary produced by the BBC, aired by PBS and was based on a book of the same name authored by James Burke.
Connections was focused primarily on series of “serendipitous” events that led scientific discoverers or inventors to the development of major ideas or machines that have had a great impact on modern life.
The best example I can give is via this short video where Burke makes a direct scientific connection between ancient Arab square sailed ships and the detonation of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima in 1945. Also, see if you can answer this question as posed in the sidebar of that page: How was Napoleon important to the development of the modern computer? (And no, Waterloo and Microsoft isn’t the correct answer. But I bet many thought so.)
Puzzled yet?
If not, try these connections of my own making on for size as they relate to auto racing and leads to a current news event. Note these aren’t in chronological order but by similarity of subject matter.
Lee Petty & Juan Manuel Fangio. Ayrton Senna & Dale Earnhardt. Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) & Stock Car Racing. Bernie Ecclestone & Big Bill France. FIA & NASCAR. And finally, the world-wide 10,000lb gorilla called Formula One & the American 10,000lb gorilla called NASCAR.
Give up yet? As Burke’s connections do, they all seem to be




posted on February 28th, 2007 at 1:35 am
posted on February 28th, 2007 at 2:08 am
posted on February 28th, 2007 at 8:51 am