Perhaps my favorite television program of any category is Jacob Bronowski's
The Ascent of Man, produced in 1973. Fortunately, I own an excellent DVD player that can play disks from any region (
http://www.oppodigital.com/). I would go so far as to say that it is worth buying such a player even if this is the only region-2 disk you ever buy:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ascent-Man-Dr-Jacob-Bronowski/dp/B000772842/sr=8-1/qid=1166146312/ref=pd_ka_1/203-0141326-1058349?ie=UTF8&s=dvdThe author and narrator is a genuine scholar and intellect, and as such he is able to clearly explain in a way that only one who understands can do -- Bronowski was a mathematician, turned physicist, turned biologist; his final job was director of the Salk Institute. The program is not dumbed down like a contemporary NOVA episode. When he talks about Pythagoras, he proves the theorem for us. When he talks about the discovery of copper and bronze, he is quantitative and complete: bronze is three times harder than copper, it can take an edge, the presence of tin atoms prevent the slippage of crystals which made copper so soft.
In watching it again, after many years, I was surprised by how current this program is. He shows in detail the procedure of cloning a salamander, and discusses the ethical and biological implications of cloning humans (in 1973!). The second episode on quantum mechanics deals with uncertainty and the general problem that knowledge is imperfect. The show ends in Auschwitz, where many of Bronowski's family perished in World War II -- and his point -- perfect certainty is found only in a dogmatic oppressive society.
The cinematography of this program is also splendid, even sumptuous. Whether we are watching a slow-motion micrograph of a burning match, the vista of a mountain range, or Bronowski speaking in his own home, the program is expertly directed and captivating to the eye. The imagery is sometimes almost shockingly honest -- this is the only program I have ever seen that directly and frankly shows the birth of a human being from the gaping vagina of his mother.
The final episode takes place largely in Bronowski's home, where he talks about his close friend John von Neumann. It is a passionate and fascinating monolog on the ethical choices of scientists and society. We must not turn away from the path of intellectual integrity, he pleads. We cannot return to a static faith-based world view, or the ascent of man in western civilization will be over. His examples were the popular fads of eastern mysticism and extrasensory perception, but it was as if he was speaking directly to us in 2006 about the modern movements of creationism and dominionism that threaten American society.
Damit, why isn't this program available in the USA? Watching it requires an almost subversive act. Technically, I believe it is actually illegal for amazon to ship region-2 disks to America, and the "easter egg" required to activate region-free function in the Oppo DVD player is nowhere to be found on the manufacturer's website.
