The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and InventionIt is one of the ironies of history that the Chinese, who had all the ingredients for modern science long before the Renaissance, failed to build on their immense knowledge. Today, very few people are aware of the vast body of Chinese invention. The suspension bridge, the fishing reel, the stirrup, the parachute, paper money, playing cards, the decimal system, the seismograph, negative numbers, brandy, rudders, cranks, movable type, matches, steroids as drugs, propellers, biological pest control--all these and many more were Chinese inventions. This volume traces the stunning achievements of ancient and medieval China. |
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ancient Chinese arrows astronomical bamboo bells boats bombs brine bronze called canal cast iron ch'i ch'in China Chinese invention clock compass crossbow decimal described developed Dream Pool Essays Dynasty earliest early eleventh century emperor equal temperament Europe European feet fire fire-lance fishing reel flame flame-thrower fourth century BC fuse grain gunpowder Han Dynasty harness hormones horse hundred inches invented in China kites known Ko Hung lacquer later machine magic magnetic modern Mongols mountains Museum natural gas Needham says octave paddle-wheel paper money piston bellows pitch-pipes Plate plow poison porcelain printed published river rockets rudder sail saltpeter second century BC seed drill seen Shan Shen Kua ships sixth century steel stirrup string Sung Sung Dynasty sunspots surviving suspension bridge Taoist technique tenth century third century BC thousand timbre traditional tube urine Wang weapon West Western wheel wheelbarrow wind wrote