THE PLOT THUS FAR
Join best-selling author Steven Johnson to discover extraordinary stories behind six remarkable ideas that made modern life possible, the unsung heroes who brought them about and the unexpected and bizarre consequences each of these innovations triggered.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
“How We Got to Now” is an interesting look at how simple ideas make our lives work. We get a history of the people that brought them to life. Plus, there’s also a focus on the negative consequences of using and abusing these tools. I love that the negative aspects of history are being given attention. You never get to see that in enough documentaries. Too many documentaries want to paint history as a never-ending series of successful inventions and tools that never caused anyone any harm. Hell, I’d love to see a serious look at how medical breakthroughs in the late 19th Century created the modern Drug War.
Clean Water, Time, Glass, Light, Cold and Sound are the focuses of this first outing. Over six hours, you’re getting to get slammed with science knowledge. The rest of the season picks up from the first episode I covered, but it’s just different facts. Steven Johnson keeps a similar stance throughout his presentation, so it might be easy to have it blend together. If you’re looking for an interesting film that gets people thinking about science and its importance to society, then this is it. Basically, it’s just a long-form “I F**king Love Science”. That might sound like a slight to some, but it makes the facts presented digestible.
The DVD comes with a bonus interview as the special feature. The A/V Quality is pretty strong for the release. The transfer is on par with the last couple of PBS documentaries. The same goes for the Dolby 2.0 surround track. In the end, I’d recommend a purchase.
RELEASE DATE: 10/28/2014