A thought for a Sunday

"We have to understand that the world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is more important than the eye... The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."

Jacob Bronowski (1908 – 1974)


I think this quote comes from The Ascent of Man (BBC, 1973), one of the greatest documentaries of all time. What David Attenborough did for evolution with Life on Earth (BBC, 1979), Bronowski had already done for human history and culture in Ascent.

If you have never seen this documentary then there's a list of links below the belt. Be prepared for many hours viewing though, but every minute is worth it.

The Ascent of Man
I've checked all this as best I can, and it seems OK. The order is correct to the chapters in the book but the episode numbering on Google video is a bit off.

1. Lower than the Angels
2. The Harvest of the Seasons
   
3. The Grain in the Stone
   
4. The Hidden Structure
5. Music of the Spheres
   
6. The Starry Messenger
7. The Majestic Clockwork
   
8. The Drive for Power
9. The Ladder of Creation
   
10. World within World
    
11. Knowledge or Certainty
    
12. Generation upon Generation
    
13. The Long Childhood