Rich Scientific Achievements in Early China
Amone the scientific accomplishments of early China were match- es, dry docks, the double-action piston pump, cast iron, the iron plough, the horse collar, the multi-tube seed drill, the wheelbarrow, the suspen- sion bridge, the parachute, natural gas as fuel, the raised-relief map, the propeller, the sluice gate, and the pound lock. The Tang Dynasty in par- ticular was a time of great innovations.
In the 7th century, book-printing was developed in China and Japan, using delicate hand-carved wooden blocks to print individual pages. The 9th century Diamond Sutra® is the earliest known printed document. Movable type was also used in China for a time, but was abandoned because of the number of characters needed; it would not be until Gutenburg that the technique was reinvented in a suitable environment.
In addition to gunpowder, the Chinese also developed the improved delivery systems for the Byzantine weapon of Greek fire, Menghuo You and Penhuo Qi first used in China 900 AD. Chinese illustrations were more realistic than in Byzantine manuscripts, and detailed accounts from 1044 recommending its use on city walls and ramparts show the brass container as fitted with a horizontal pump, and a nozzle, of small diameter. The records of a battle on the Yangtze River in 975 offer an insight into the dangers of the weapon, as a change of wind direction blew the fire back onto the Song forces.
The Prosperous Era of Science in the Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty brought a new period of stability to China after a century of civil war, and started a new area of modernisation by encour- aging examinations and meritocracy. The first Song Emperor created political institutions that allowed a great deal of freedom of discourse and thought, which facilitated the growth of scientific advance, econom- ic reforms, and achievements in arts and literature. Trade flourished both within China and overseas, and the encouragement of technology allowed the mints at Kaifeng and Hangzhou to gradually increase in production. In 1080, the mints of Emperor Shenzong produced 5 billion coins (roughly 50 per Chinese citizen), and the first banknotes were pro- duced in 1023. These coins were so durable that they would still be in use 700 years later, in the 18th century.
There were many famous inventors and early scientists in the Song Dynasty. The statesman Shen Kuo is best known for his book known as the Dream Pool Essays. In it, he wrote of the use for a dry dock to repair boats, the navigational magnetic compass, and the discovery of the con- cept of true north (with magnetic declination towards the North Pole). Shen Kuo also devised a geological theory for land formation, or geo- morphology, and theorized that there was climate change in geological regions over an enormous span of time. The equally talented statesman Su Song (1020— 1101 AD) is best known for his engineering project ofthe Water-driven Astronomical Clock Tower of Kaifeng, by 1088 AD. The clock tower was driven by a rotating waterwheel and escapement mechanism, the latter of which did not appear in clockworks of Europe until two centuries later. Crowning the top of the clock tower was the large bronze, mechanically-driven, rotating armillary sphere. In 1070, Su Song also compiled the Ben Cao Tu Jing (Illustrated Pharmacopoeia) with a team of scholars. This pharmaceutical treatise covered a wide range of other related subjects, including botany, zoology, mineral- ogy and metallurgy. Chinese astronomers were also among the first to record observations of a supernova, in 1054, making the Crab Nebula the first astronomical object recognized as being connected to a super- nova explosion. Arabic and Chinese astronomy intermingled under the Mongol rule of the Yuan Dynasty. Muslim astronomers worked in the Chinese astronomical bureau established by Kublai Khan, while some Chinese astronomers also worked at the Persian Maragha observatory. (Before this, in ancient times, Indian astronomers had lent their exper- tise to the Chinese court. )
The Leap - forward Development of Science and Technology in the PRC
Science and technology in the People’s Republic of China has been growing rapidly. As China develops and becomes more connected to the global economy, the government has placed a stronger emphasis on science and technology as an integral part of the socio-economic development of the country. This has led to increases in investment, improved scientific structures, and more funding for research.
In 1900, China had no modern science and technology at all. Now, in the early 21st century, the gap in high-technology research and devel- opment between China and the world’s advanced countries has shrunk. 60 percent of technologies, including atomic energy, space, high-energy physics, biology, computer and information technology, have reached or are close to the world’s advanced level. On October 15, 2003, the suc- cessful launch of the“Shenzhou V” manned spacecraft made China the third country to master manned spaceflight technology independently. According to the “Moon Probe Project ” started in February 2004, China has launched unmanned probes to the moon in 2013, and will gather moon soil samples before 2020.
China’s development of science and technology and its system of granting science and technology awards are underpinned by the Sci- ence and Technology Progress Law promulgated in July 1993. This stipulates the objectives, functions and sources of funds, and the system of rewards for science and technology development. The Law on Popu- larization of Science and Technology promulgated in June 2002 makes a societal goal to popularize science and technology knowledge among all citizens. Local regulations have been issued for attracting talented people, ensuring investment in science and technology, and developing high technology.
