Papermaking
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Chinese legend tells that the new invention
of paper was presented to the Emperor in the year 105 AD by Cai Lun.
Archeological evidence, however, shows that paper was in use two hundred
years before then. Either way, the Chinese were significantly ahead of
the rest of the world. The craft of papermaking relied upon an abundance
of bamboo fiber to produce a fine quality paper. In China: Ancient
Arts and Sciences, the papermaker uses only the traditional
materials and methods to produce fine art paper. |
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Printing
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| The Chinese invention of moveable type,
credited to Bi Sheng in the year 1045 AD, did not significantly impact
Chinese society. Three hundred years later in Europe, Gutenberg's
development of moveable type revolutionized the Western world. Why? The
Chinese language uses 3000 to 5000 characters in an average newspaper.
The English language, in comparison, uses 26 characters in an average
newspaper. Clearly, manipulating 5000 characters on a printing press
took much longer than moving 26. Still, the invention of moveable type
furthered Chinese technology and its role in the advancement of human
civilization. |
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Gunpowder
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Imagine their enemy's surprise when the
Chinese first demonstrated their newest invention in the eighth century
AD. Chinese scientists discovered that an explosive mixture could be
produced by combining sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium
nitrate). The military applications were clear. New weapons were rapidly
developed, including rockets and others that were launched from a bamboo
tube. Once again, the raw materials at hand, like bamboo, contributed
ideas for new technologies. |
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Compass
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| By the third century AD, Chinese scientists
had studied and learned much about magnetism in nature. For example,
they knew that iron ore, called magnetite, tended to align itself in a
North/South position. Scientists learned to "make magnets" by heating
pieces of ore to red hot temperatures and then cooling the pieces in a
North/South position. The magnet was then placed on a piece of reed and
floated in a bowl of water marked with directional bearings. These first
navigational compasses were widely used on Chinese ships by the eleventh
century AD. |
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