| In the last two centuries, new cultural discoveries | | | | 7. The Mechanical Clock. In the year 732, a Buddhist |
| have nearly rewritten history. It's been an exciting | | | | monk and mathematician invented the first |
| time, full of adventure and surprises. Around every | | | | mechanical clock. He named it "Water-Driven Spherical |
| corner there are new responses to questions we had | | | | Bird's-Eye-View Map of the Heavens." Like earlier |
| already imagined answered. And of these | | | | clocks, water gave it power, but machinery cased |
| breakthroughs, none shines as brightly as the impact | | | | the movement. But, after a few years, corrosion and |
| of ancient Chinese inventions on modern life. As we | | | | freezing temperatures took their toll. It wasn't until |
| explore ten of the greatest inventions and | | | | 1090, when astronomer Su Sung designed his |
| innovations of Ancient China, you may be surprised | | | | mechanical marvel "Cosmic Engine", that a more |
| at their influence on recent technology. | | | | dependable timepiece was made. Created for |
| 1. Paper. Paper, as we know it, was invented in China | | | | Emperor Ying Zong, this clock had a tower over 30 |
| around the year 105. After seeing earlier attempts | | | | feet tall. It housed machinery that, among other |
| made from silk, bamboo sticks and animal skins, Cai | | | | things, caused wooden puppets to pop from one of |
| Lun came up with his own idea. After mixing mulberry | | | | five doors at regular intervals throughout the day. |
| bark, rags, wheat stalks and other stuff, a pulp | | | | (Much like the modern idea of a Cuckoo clock.) The |
| formed. This pulp was pressed into sheets and dried, | | | | entire machine was powered by a giant waterwheel. |
| becoming a crude form of paper. Paper was such an | | | | This clock ran until 1126, when it was dismantled by |
| important invention that the process of making it | | | | the conquering Tartars and moved to Peking for |
| was a jealously guarded secret. The secret was safe | | | | another several years. The first clock reference in |
| until the seventh century when the art spread to | | | | Western history was in 1335, in the church of St. |
| India. | | | | Gothard in Milan. |
| 2. The Printing Press. Before Johann Gutenberg | | | | 8. The Planetarium. A planetarium is a big enclosed |
| "invented" the printing press in the 1440's, China | | | | space that shows the stars and constellations on the |
| created a type of printing press between 206 B.C. | | | | inside. Orbitoscope was the name of the first |
| and A.D. 45. It was made using stone tablets to | | | | projection planetarium. It was built in Basil in 1912 by |
| create a "rubbing" of famous Buddhist and Confucian | | | | Professor E. Hinderman. But, once again, China is the |
| texts. Next came block printing in the Sui Dynasty. In | | | | mother of this invention. The first planetarium is |
| block printing, images and words were engraved on | | | | attributed to the design of an early emperor. As one |
| wooden boards, smeared with ink and pressed onto | | | | source states, an astronomer named Jamaluddin |
| sheets of paper. Later, moveable type printing | | | | created a planetarium during the Yuan Dynasty |
| presses were introduced. According to the authors of | | | | (1271-1368), along with a perpetual calendar and other |
| Ancient Inventions, "By A.D. 1000, paged books in the | | | | important astronomical devices. |
| modern style had replaced scrolls - a good 450 years | | | | 9. The Earthquake Sensor. The earliest earthquake |
| ahead of Gutenberg." | | | | sensor was also an interesting piece of art. It was a |
| 3. The First Book. Due to the early advent of the | | | | bronze cylinder about 8 feet around, with 8 dragons |
| printing press, China also claims the first book. In 868, | | | | perched above 8 open-mouthed frogs. In the mouth |
| almost six hundred years before the Gutenberg Bible, | | | | of each dragon rested a bronze ball. When an |
| the earliest known book was printed. By the end of | | | | earthquake struck, a pendulum inside the cylinder |
| the Tang dynasty, China had bookstores in almost | | | | would swing. It knocked the ball from the mouth of |
| every city. | | | | the dragon and down into the frog's mouth. That |
| 4. Paper Money. While today you'd rather carry a lot | | | | frog's back was then facing the direction of the |
| of cash instead of coin, that hasn't always been the | | | | center of the quake. Chang Heng invented it in A.D. |
| case. The idea of paper currency was first | | | | 132 (during the Han Dynasty), almost 600 years |
| attempted under Emperor Han Wu-Ti (140-87 B.C.) | | | | before the first western sensor was made in France. |
| after war had drained the treasury. He issued | | | | Later, in 1939, Imamura Akitsune recreated the |
| treasury notes, worth and in exchange for 400,000 | | | | invention and actually proved it effective. |
| copper coins. Instead of paper, the Emperor used | | | | 10. The Helicopter Rotor & Propeller. While the |
| the skin of the white stag. But the creature was so | | | | Ancient Chinese didn't actually invent the helicopter, |
| rare that the idea soon lost appeal. In the early 800's, | | | | they were involved in its creation. In the 4th century |
| the idea revived to deter highway robbers. In 812, | | | | A.D., they invented a toy called the "Bamboo |
| the government was again printing money. By the | | | | Dragonfly". You've probably seen them as prizes at |
| year 1023, money had an expiration date and was | | | | local fairs or carnivals. It was a toy top, with a base |
| already plagued by inflation and counterfeiting. Nearly | | | | like a pencil and a small helicopter-like blade at the |
| six hundred years later paper money headed west, | | | | end. The top was wrapped with a cord. When you |
| first printed in Sweden in 1601. | | | | pulled the cord, the blade would spin around and soar |
| 5. The Abacus. Well before Texas Instruments, the | | | | into the air. This toy was studied by Sir George |
| first calculator was in the works. The abacus dates | | | | Cayley in 1809 and played a role in the birth of |
| from around the year 200 B.C. It is a very advanced | | | | modern aviation. It wasn't until the early 1900's that |
| tool with a simple design. Wood is crafted into a | | | | the first helicopter took flight. |
| rectangular frame with rods running from base to | | | | It is sometimes a mind blowing thing to realize that |
| top. About 2/3's from the base, a divider crosses the | | | | what seemed to be modern ideas or inventions are |
| frame, known as the counting bar. On each of the | | | | much older than we'd imagined. And it's likely that |
| rods are beads. All of the beads above the counting | | | | there are more inventions to be discovered. More |
| bar equal five. Those below equal one. The rows of | | | | historical changes to be made. In the conclusion of |
| rods are read from right to left. The furthest bar to | | | | The Greatest Inventions of the Past 2,000 Years, |
| the right holds the one's place, the next holds the | | | | Jared Diamond summed it up well while referring to |
| ten's place, then the hundred's, and so on. While its | | | | the changing view of history and its inventors, "So, |
| design may sound complex, there are some Chinese | | | | forget those stories about genius inventors who |
| today so skilled that they can solve difficult math | | | | perceived a need of society, solved it single-handedly, |
| problems faster than someone using a calculator! | | | | and thereby transformed the world. There has never |
| 6. The Decimal System. In the West, the decimal | | | | been such a genius........If Gutenberg hadn't devised the |
| system appeared quite recently. Its first believed | | | | better alloys and inks used in early printing, some |
| instance was in a Spanish manuscript dated around | | | | other contemporary tinkerer with metals and oils |
| 976. But, the first true example goes back much | | | | would have done so......do give Gutenberg some of |
| further. In China, an inscription dated from the 13th | | | | the credit---but not too much." |
| century B.C., "547 days" was written as "five hundred | | | | Questions: |
| plus four decades plus seven of days." The Chinese | | | | 1. Choose one of the inventions mentioned. Explain |
| likely created the decimal system because their | | | | how different the world would be if it hadn't been |
| language depended on characters (like pictures) | | | | invented. |
| instead of an alphabet. Each number had its own | | | | 2. Why do you think there was such a large space of |
| unique character. Without the decimal system, the | | | | time between the Eastern and Western dates of |
| Chinese would have had a terrible time memorizing all | | | | invention? |
| of these new characters. By using units of ones, | | | | 3. What are two other inventions that came from |
| tens, hundreds, etc., the Chinese saved time and | | | | ancient China? Research and find out when the idea |
| trouble. | | | | was introduced to Western culture. |