Shen Kuo (沈括)
Shen Kuo, a Chinese scientist famous for his concepts of true north and land formation, among others.
Born	1031 Qiantang
Died	1095 Runzhou
Residence	Hangzhou, Xiamen, Kaifeng, Zhenjiang
Field	Geology, Astronomy, Mathematics, Pharmacology, Magnetics, Optics, Hydraulics, Metaphysics, Meteorology, Climatology, Geography, Botany, Zoology, Architecture, Agriculture, Economics, Military strategy, Ethnography, Music
Institutions	Hanlin Academy
Known for	Geomorphology, Climate change, Paleoclimatology, True north, Retrogradation, spherical celestial bodies, compass, camera obscura, fixing the position of the pole star and correcting lunar and solar errors
Religion	Daoism, Confucianism

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Shen.

Shen Kuo or Shen Kua (Chinese: 沈括; pinyin: Shěn Kuò) (1031–1095) was a polymathic Chinese scientist and statesman of the Song Dynasty (960–1279). Excelling in many fields of study and statecraft, he was a mathematician, astronomer, meteorologist, geologist, zoologist, botanist, pharmacologist, agronomist, ethnographer, encyclopedist, poet, general, diplomat, hydraulic engineer, inventor, academy chancellor, finance minister, and governmental state inspector. He was the head official for the Bureau of Astronomy in the Song court, as well as an Assistant Minister of Imperial Hospitality.^[1] At court his political allegiance was to the Reformist party of the New Policies Group, headed by Chancellor Wang Anshi (王安石; 1021–1086). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 281 × 326 pixelsFull resolution (281 × 326 pixel, file size: 16 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This is a very old drawing of the 11th century Chinese statesman Shen Kuo, and the author is unknown. ... 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A view of the Xiamen University campus Xiamen (Simplified Chinese: 厦门; Traditional Chinese: 廈門; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a coastal sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Kaifeng (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: KāifÄ“ng; Wade-Giles: Kai-feng), formerly known as Bianliang (汴梁; Wade-Giles: Pien-liang), is a prefecture-level city in eastern Henan province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Zhenjiang (Simplified Chinese: 镇江; Traditional Chinese: 鎮江; pinyin: Zhènjiāng; Wade-Giles: Chen-chiang) is a prefecture-level city in the southwestern Jiangsu province, Peoples Republic of China. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... For other uses, see Astronomy (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of mathematics or math, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmakon (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and lego (λέγω) to tell (about)) is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with magnet. ... For the book by Sir Isaac Newton, see Opticks. ... Table of Hydraulics and Hydrostatics, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... Plato (Left) and Aristotle (right), by Raphael (Stanza della Segnatura, Rome) Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the ultimate nature of reality, being, and the world. ... // Meteorology (from Greek: μετέωρον, meteoron, high in the sky; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting. ... Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time,[1] and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences. ... 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Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ... Paleoclimatology is the study of climate change taken on the scale of the entire history of the Earth. ... True Pizza is a navigational term referring to the direction of the North Pole relative to the navigators position. ... Prograde motion is the rotational or orbital motion of a body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within a given system, and is sometimes called direct motion. ... For other uses, see sphere (disambiguation). ... This article is about the navigational instrument. ... The camera obscura (Lat. ... For other uses of the words Pole star and Polestar see Polestar (disambiguation). ... This article is about Earths moon. ... Sol redirects here. ... For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... A Confucian temple in Wuwei, Peoples Republic of China. ... 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In his Dream Pool Essays (夢溪筆談; Mengxi Bitan) of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by Alexander Neckam in 1187).^[2][3] Kuo also discovered the concept of true north in terms of magnetic declination towards the north pole,^[3] with experimentation of suspended magnetic needles and “the improved meridian determined by Shen’s [astronomical] measurement of the distance between the polestar and true north”.^[4] This was the decisive step in human history to make compasses more useful for navigation, and was a concept unknown in Europe for another four hundred years.^[5] Shen Kuo (沈括) (1031-1095 AD) The Dream Pool Essays (Pinyin: Meng Xi Bi Tan; Wade-Giles: Meng Chi Pi Tan Chinese: 梦溪笔谈) was an extensive book written by the polymath Chinese scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095) by 1088 AD, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) of China. ... In physics, magnetism is a phenomenon by which materials exert an attractive or repulsive force on other materials. ... This article is about the navigational instrument. ... Alexander of Neckam (sometimes spelled Necham or Nequam) (September 8, 1157 – 1217), was an English scholar and teacher. ... True Pizza is a navigational term referring to the direction of the North Pole relative to the navigators position. ... Magnetic declination. ... For other uses, see North Pole (disambiguation). ... This article is about the astronomical concept. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Alongside his colleague Wei Pu (衛朴), Shen accurately mapped the orbital paths of the moon and the planets, in an intensive five-year project that rivaled the later work of the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601).^[6] To aid his work in astronomy, Shen Kuo made improved designs of the armillary sphere, gnomon, sighting tube, and invented a new type of inflow clepsydra clock. Shen Kuo devised a geological theory of land formation, or geomorphology, based upon findings of inland marine fossils, knowledge of soil erosion, and the deposition of silt.^[7] He also proposed a theory of gradual climate change, after observing ancient petrified bamboos that were preserved underground in a dry northern habitat that would not support bamboo growth in his time. He was the first literary figure in China to mention the use of the drydock to repair boats suspended out of water, and also wrote of the effectiveness of the relatively new invention of the canal pound lock. Although Ibn al-Haytham was the first to describe camera obscura, Shen Kuo was the first in China to do so several decades later. Shen Kuo wrote extensively about movable type printing invented by Bi Sheng (畢昇; 990–1051), and because of his written works the legacy of Bi Sheng and the modern understanding of the earliest movable type has been handed down to later generations.^[8] Wei Pu (衛朴; Wade-Giles: Wei Pu) was an 11th century Chinese astronomer of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). ... Monument of Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler in Prague Tycho Brahe, born Tyge Ottesen Brahe (December 14, 1546 – October 24, 1601), was a Danish nobleman from the region of Scania (in modern-day Sweden), best known today as an early astronomer, though in his lifetime he was also well known... Armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations known as a spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of the celestial sphere, invented by the ancient Greek Eratosthenes in 255 BC. Its name comes from the Latin armilla (circle, bracelet), since it has a skeleton made of graduated metal circles linking... The cantilever spar of this cable-stay bridge, the Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay, forms the gnomon of a large garden sundial The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. ... Clepsydra may refer to Clepsydra, a type of water thief. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... Surface of the Earth Geomorphology is the study of landforms, including their origin and evolution, and the processes that shape them. ... Marine is an umbrella term for things relating to the ocean, as with marine biology, marine geology, and as a term for a navy, etc. ... For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and so forth) by the agents of wind, water, ice, or movement in response to gravity. ... Deposition is the geological process whereby material is added to a landform. ... For other uses, see Silt (disambiguation). ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 450,000 years For current global climate change, see Global warming. ... In geology, petrifaction or petrification is the process by which organic material is converted into stone or a similar substance. ... For other uses, see Bamboo (disambiguation). ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ... A pound lock is type of canal lock which is used almost exclusively today. ... (Arabic: أبو علي الحسن بن الحسن بن الهيثم, Latinized: Alhacen or (deprecated) Alhazen) (965 – 1039), was an Arab[1] Muslim polymath[2][3] who made significant contributions to the principles of optics, as well as to anatomy, astronomy, engineering, mathematics, medicine, ophthalmology, philosophy, physics, psychology, visual perception, and to science in general with his introduction of the... The camera obscura (Lat. ... For the weblog software, see Movable Type. ... For other uses, see Print. ... Pì ShÄ“ng (Wade-Giles selling) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ; died 1052) was the inventor of the first know movable type printing system. ...

Birth and youth

Shen Kuo was born in Qiantang (modern-day Hangzhou) in the year 1031. His father Shen Zhou (沈周; 978–1052) was a somewhat lower-class gentry figure serving in official posts on the provincial level; his mother was from a family of equal status in Suzhou, with her maiden name being Xu (許).^[9] Kuo received his initial childhood education from his mother, which was a common practice in China during this period.^[9]a[›] She was very educated herself, teaching Kuo and his brother Pi (披) the military doctrines of her own elder brother Xu Tang (許洞; 975–1016).^[9] Since Shen was unable to boast of prominent familial clan history like many of his elite peers born in the north, he was forced to rely on his wit and stern determination of achievement in his studies to enter the challenging and sophisticated life of an exam-drafted state bureaucrat.^[9]   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Postal map spelling: Hangchow) is a sub-provincial city located in the Yangtze River Delta in the Peoples Republic of China, and the capital of Zhejiang province. ... This article is about the city in Jiangsu. ... Xu can be a pinyin transliteration of one of several Chinese surnames: 徐 (pinyin Xú, also spelled Hsu or Tsui or Eu) 許 (traditional) or 许 (simplified), (pinyin XÇ”, also spelled Hui or Hii) In this context it is pronounced somewhat like Shoo or simply Shh. ...

From about 1040, Shen's family moved around Sichuan province and finally to the international seaport at Xiamen, where Shen's father accepted minor provincial posts in each new territory.^[10] Shen Zhou also served several years in the prestigious capital judiciary, the equivalent of a federal supreme court.^[9] Shen Kuo took notice of the various towns and rural features of China as his family traveled, while Kuo became interested during his youth in the diverse topography of the land.^[10] He also observed the intriguing aspects of his father's engagement in administrative governance and the managerial problems involved in governance; experiences which would have a deep impact upon Kuo as he later became a government official.^[10] Since he often became ill as a child, Shen Kuo also developed a natural curiosity for medicine and pharmaceutical knowledge.^[10]   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: SzÅ­4-chuan1; Postal map spelling: Szechwan and Szechuan) is a province in the central-western China with its capital at Chengdu. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Port. ... A view of the Xiamen University campus Xiamen (Simplified Chinese: 厦门; Traditional Chinese: 廈門; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a coastal sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian province, Peoples Republic of China. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... For discussion of land surfaces themselves, see Terrain. ...

Shen Zhou died in the late winter of 1051 (or early 1052), when his son Shen Kuo was 21 years old. Shen Kuo grieved for his father, and following Confucian ethics, remained inactive in a state of mourning for three years until 1054 (or early 1055).^[11] As of 1054, Shen began serving in minor, local governmental posts. However, his natural abilities to plan, organize, and design were proven early in life; one example is his design and supervision of the hydraulic drainage of an embankment system, which converted some one hundred thousand acres (400 km²) of swampland into prime farmland.^[11] Shen Kuo noted in his writing that the success of the silt fertilization method relied upon the effective operation of sluice gates of irrigation canals.^[12] Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... A levee, levée (from the feminine past participle of the French verb lever, to raise), floodbank or stopbank is a natural or artificial slope or wall, usually earthen and often parallels the course of a river. ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Modern arable agriculture typically uses large fields like this one in Dorset, England. ... For other uses, see Silt (disambiguation). ... Categories: Biology stubs ... Sluice gates near Henley, on the River Thames A small wooden sluice in Magome, Japan, used to power a waterwheel. ... For other uses, see Canal (disambiguation). ...

Career and later life

Shen's confidant, Emperor Shenzong of Song (r. 1067–1085), a Song era portrait painting.

In 1063 Shen Kuo successfully passed the Imperial examinations, the difficult national-level standard test that every high official was required to pass in order to enter the governmental system.^[11] He not only passed the exam, however, but placed into the higher category of the best and brightest students.^[11] While serving at Yangzhou, Shen's brilliance and dutiful character caught the attention of Zhang Chu (張蒭; 1015–1080), the Fiscal Intendant of the region. Shen made a lasting impression upon Zhang, who recommended Shen for a court appointment in the financial administration of the central court.^[11] Shen would also eventually marry Zhang's daughter, who became his second wife. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Emperor Shenzong (May 25, 1048 – April 1, 1085) was the sixth emperor of Song Dynasty China. ... The Imperial examinations (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) in Imperial China determined who among the population would be permitted to enter the states bureaucracy. ... Yangzhou (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; former spellings: Yang-chou, Yangchow; literally Rising Prefecture) is a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu province, Peoples Republic of China. ...

In his career as a scholar-official for the central government, Shen Kuo was also an ambassador to the Western Xia Dynasty and Liao Dynasty,^[13] a military commander, a director of hydraulic works, and the leading chancellor of the Hanlin Academy.^[14] By 1072, Shen was appointed as the head official of the Bureau of Astronomy.^[11] With his leadership position in the bureau, Shen was responsible for projects in improving calendrical science,^[8] and proposed many reforms to the Chinese calendar alongside the work of his colleague Wei Pu (衛朴).^[6] With his impressive skills and aptitude for matters of economy and finance, Shen was appointed as the Finance Commissioner at the central court.^[15] While employed by the central government, Shen Kuo was also sent out with others to inspect the granary system of the empire, investigating problems of illegal collections, negligence, ineffective disaster relief, and inadequate water-conservancy projects.^[16] Shen Kuo was also awarded the honorary title of a State Foundation Viscount by Emperor Shenzong of Song (神宗; r. 1067–1085), who placed a great amount of trust in Shen Kuo.^[15] Scholar-bureaucrats or scholar-officials were civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance during the Qing Dynasty. ... Location of Western Xia in 1142 Capital Xingqing Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1038-1048 Emperor Jingzong  - 1226-1227 Emperor Modi History  - Established 1038  - Surrendered to the Mongol Empire 1227 Population  - peak est. ... The Liao Dynasty (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: , pinyin: Liáo Cháo), 907-1125, also known as the Khitan Empire, was an empire in northern China that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. ... Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ... For other uses, see Chancellor (disambiguation). ... The Hanlin Academy (翰林院) was founded in China in the 8th century. ... The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. ... Wei Pu (衛朴; Wade-Giles: Wei Pu) was an 11th century Chinese astronomer of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). ... Granary at Thiruparaithurai, Kumbakonam (old temple town), built around 1600-1634 A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. ... A viscount is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl (in Britain) or a count (his continental equivalent). ... Emperor Shenzong (May 25, 1048 – April 1, 1085) was the sixth emperor of Song Dynasty China. ...

At court Shen was a political favorite of the Chancellor Wang Anshi (王安石; 1021–1086), who was the leader of the political faction of Reformers, also known as the New Policies Group (新法, Xin Fa).^[17]b[›] Shen Kuo had a previous history with Wang Anshi, since it was Wang who had composed the funerary epitaph for Kuo's father.^[18] Shen Kuo soon impressed Wang Anshi with his skills and abilities as an administrator and government agent. In 1072, Shen was sent to supervise Wang's program of surveying the building of silt deposits in the Bian Canal outside the capital city. Using an original technique, Shen successfully dredged the canal and demonstrated the formidable value of the silt gathered as a fertilizer.^[18] He gained further reputation at court once he was dispatched as an envoy to the Khitan Liao Dynasty in the summer of 1075.^[18] The Khitans had made several aggressive negotiations of pushing their borders south, while manipulating several incompetent Chinese ambassadors who conceded to the Liao Kingdom's demands.^[18] In a brilliant display of diplomacy, Shen Kuo came to the camp of the Khitan monarch at Mt. Yongan (near modern Pingquan, Hebei), armed with copies of previously archived diplomatic negotiations between the Song and Liao dynasties.^[18] Shen Kuo refuted Emperor Daozong's bluffs point for point, while the Song reestablished their rightful border line.^[18] With these reputable achievements, Shen became a trusted member of Wang Anshi's elite circle of eighteen unofficial core political loyalists to the New Policies Group.^[18] For other uses, see Chancellor (disambiguation). ... Wáng Ānshí (王安石) (1021 - 1086) was a Chinese economist, statesman and poet of the Song Dynasty who attempted some controversial, major socio-economic reforms. ... An epitaph ( literally: on the gravestone in ancient Greek) is text honoring the deceased, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque. ... Spreading manure, an organic fertilizer Fertilizers (also spelled fertilisers) are compounds given to plants to promote growth; they are usually applied either via the soil, for uptake by plant roots, or by foliar feeding, for uptake through leaves. ... The Khitan (or Khitai, Chinese: ; pinyin: Qìdān) were an ethnic group which dominated much of Manchuria in the 11th century and has been classified by Chinese historians as one of the Eastern proto-Mongolic ethnic groups Donghu (東胡族 dōng hú zú). They established the Liao Dynasty in 907... Pingquan is a town in Hebei Province, China. ... Hebei (Chinese: 河北; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ho-pei; Postal System Pinyin: Hopeh) is a northern province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Emperor Daozong of Liao (1032-1101), born Yelü Hongji or Yehlu Hongji, was an emperor of the Liao dynasty, a kingdom of the Khitan people in what is now neartheastern China. ...

Illustration of Wang Anshi from the Wan Xiao Tang, 1743.

Although much of Wang Anshi's reforms outlined in the New Policies centered around state finance, land tax reform, and the Imperial examinations, there were also military concerns. This included policies of raising militias to lessen the expense of upholding a million soldiers,^[19] putting government monopolies on saltpetre and sulphur production and distribution in 1076 (to ensure that gunpowder solutions would not fall into the hands of enemies),^[20][21] and aggressive military policy towards China's northern rivals of the Western Xia and Liao dynasties.^[22] A few years after Song Dynasty military forces had made victorious territorial gains against the Tanguts of the Western Xia, in 1080 Shen Kuo was entrusted as a military officer in defense of Yanzhou (modern-day Yan'an, Shaanxi province).^[23] During the autumn months of 1081, Shen was successful in defending Song Dynasty territory while capturing several fortified towns of the Western Xia.^[15] The Emperor Shenzong of Song rewarded Shen with numerous titles for his merit in these battles, and in the sixteen months of Shen's military campaign, he received 273 letters from the Emperor.^[15] However, Emperor Shenzong trusted an arrogant military officer who disobeyed the emperor and Shen's proposal for strategic fortifications, instead fortifying what Shen considered useless strategic locations. Furthermore, this officer expelled Shen from his commanding post at the main citadel, so as to deny him any glory in chance of victory.^[15] The result of this was nearly catastrophic, as the forces of the arrogant officer were decimated.^[15] Nonetheless, Shen was successful in defending his fortifications and the only possible Tangut invasion-route to Yanzhou.^[15] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 292 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (803 × 1645 pixel, file size: 309 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Wang Anshi（王安石）was a politician and literary man in China. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 292 × 598 pixelsFull resolution (803 × 1645 pixel, file size: 309 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Wang Anshi（王安石）was a politician and literary man in China. ... Wáng Ānshí (王安石) (1021 - 1086) was a Chinese economist, statesman and poet of the Song Dynasty who attempted some controversial, major socio-economic reforms. ... Lebanese Kataeb militia A Militia is an army composed of ordinary [1] citizens to provide defense, emergency or paramilitary service, or those engaged in such activity. ... Saltpeter is variously: potassium nitrate (niter); or sodium nitrate (soda niter) ... For the chemical element see: sulfur. ... Smokeless powder Gunpowder is a pyrotechnic composition, an explosive mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate that burns rapidly, producing volumes of hot gas which can be used as a propellant in firearms and fireworks. ... The Tangut, also known as the Western Xia were a Qiangic-Tibetan people who moved to the highlands of western Sichuan sometime before the 10th century AD. They spoke Tangut language a now-extinct Tibeto-Burman language. ... Yanan (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Yen-an), is a city in the Shanbei region of Shaanxi province, China. ...   (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ShÇŽnxÄ«; Wade-Giles: Shan-hsi; Postal map spelling: Shensi) is a north-central province of the Peoples Republic of China, and includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River as well as the Qinling Mountains across the... This article is about a type of fortification. ...

However, the new Chancellor Cai Que (蔡確; 1036–1093) held Shen responsible for the disaster and loss of life.^[15] Along with abandoning the territory which Shen Kuo had fought for, Cai ousted Shen from his seat of office.^[15] Shen's life was now forever changed, as he lost his once reputable career in state governance and the military.^[15] Shen was then put under probation in a fixed residence for the next six years. However, as he was isolated from governance, he decided to pick up the quill and dedicate himself to intensive scholarly studies. After completing two geographical atlases for a state-sponsored program, Shen was rewarded by having his sentence of probation lifted, allowing him to live in a place of his choice.^[15] Shen was also pardoned by the court for any previous faults or crimes that were claimed against him.^[15] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A quill pen is made from a flight feather (preferably a primary) of a large bird, most often a goose. ... Physical map of the Earth (Medium) (Large 2 MB) Geography is the scientific study of the locational and spatial variation in both physical and human phenomena on Earth. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps or manifolds, traditionally bound into book form, but also found in multimedia formats. ...

According to Zhu Yu's book Pingzhou Table Talks (萍洲可談; Pingzhou Ketan) of 1119, Shen Kuo had two marriages; the second wife was the daughter of Zhang Chu (張蒭), who came from Huainan. Lady Zhang was said to be overbearing and fierce, often abusive to Shen Kuo, even attempting at one time to pull off his beard. Shen Kuo's children were often upset over this, and prostrated themselves to Lady Zhang to quit this behavior. Despite this, Lady Zhang went as far as to drive out Shen Kuo's son from his first marriage, expelling him from the household. However, after Lady Zhang died, Shen Kuo fell into a deep depression and even attempted to jump into the Yangtze River to drown himself. Although this suicide attempt failed, he would die a year later.^[24] Zhu Yu (Chinese: ; Wade-Giles: Chu Yü) was an author of the Chinese Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). ... Huainan (Chinese: 淮南; Pinyin: Huáinán) is a prefecture-level city with 1,076,000 inhabitants in central Anhui province, Peoples Republic of China. ... The Yangtze River or Chang Jiang (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), or Drichu in Tibetan (Tibetan: འབ; Wylie: bri chu) is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world, after the Nile in Africa, and the Amazon in South America. ...

In the 1070s, Shen had purchased a lavish garden estate on the outskirts of modern-day Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, a place of great beauty which he named "Dream Brook" ("Mengxi") after he visited it for the first time in 1086.^[15] Shen Kuo permanently moved to the Dream Brook Estate in 1088, and in that same year he completed his life's written work of the Mengxi Bitan (梦溪笔谈; Dream Pool Essays), naming the book after his garden-estate property. This book was Shen's ultimate attempt to comprehend and describe a multitude of various aspects of nature, science, and reality, and all the practical and profound curiosities found in the world. The literal translation of Mengxi Bitan is Dream Brook Brush Talks. For this, Shen Kuo is quoted as saying: "Because I had only my writing brush and ink slab to converse with, I call it Brush Talks."^c[›] Zhenjiang (Simplified Chinese: 镇江; Traditional Chinese: 鎮江; pinyin: Zhènjiāng; Wade-Giles: Chen-chiang) is a prefecture-level city in the southwestern Jiangsu province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Jiangsu (Simplified Chinese: 江苏; Traditional Chinese: 江蘇; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chiang-su; Postal System Pinyin: Kiangsu) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. ... Shen Kuo (沈括) (1031-1095 AD) The Dream Pool Essays (Pinyin: Meng Xi Bi Tan; Wade-Giles: Meng Chi Pi Tan Chinese: 梦溪笔谈) was an extensive book written by the polymath Chinese scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031-1095) by 1088 AD, during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) of China. ...

It was there at his peaceful garden estate that Shen Kuo spent the last several years of his life in leisure, isolation, and illness, until his death in 1095.^[15]

Scholarly achievements

The shoulder-striped Wainscot, or Leucania comma, similar to the Leucania separata, the Noctuidae family pest described by Shen Kuo.

Shen Kuo wrote extensively on a wide range of different subjects. His written work included two geographical atlases, a treatise on music with mathematical harmonics, governmental administration, mathematical astronomy, astronomical instruments, martial defensive tactics and fortifications, painting, tea, medicine, and was a profuse writer of poetry.^[25] Shen's largest atlas included twenty three maps of China and foreign regions that were drawn at a uniform scale of 1:900,000.^[4] Shen also created a three dimensional raised-relief map using sawdust, wood, beeswax, and wheat paste.^[4] In terms of meteorology, Shen wrote vivid descriptions of tornadoes, and gave reasoning (earlier proposed by Sun Sikong) that rainbows were formed by the shadow of the sun in rain, occurring when the sun would shine upon it.^[26] Shen believed that, although trees were a growing scarcity due to the needs of the iron industry, "petroleum is produced inexhaustibly within the earth".^[26]g[›] For pharmacology, Shen wrote of the difficulties of adequate diagnosis and therapy, as well as the proper selection, preparation, and administration of drugs.^[27] He held great concern for detail in identification and philological accuracy for different types of medicinal herbs, such as which months medicinal plants should be gathered, exact ripening time, which parts were used for therapy, and for domesticated medicinal plants he wrote of variation for planting time, fertilization, and other matters of horticulture.^[28] In the realms of botany, zoology, and mineralogy, Shen Kuo documented and systematically described hundreds of different plants, agricultural crops, rare vegetation, animals, and minerals found in China.^{[29][30][31][32]} Furthermore, Shen Kuo described the phenomena of natural predator insects controlling the population of pest infestations, the latter of which had the potential to wreak havoc upon the agricultural base of China.^[33] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 778 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1126 × 868 pixel, file size: 99 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Leucania comma Source : http://home. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 778 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1126 × 868 pixel, file size: 99 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Leucania comma Source : http://home. ... Binomial name Leucania comma Linnaeus, 1761 The Shoulder-striped Wainscot (Leucania comma) is a moth of the family Noctuidae. ... Diversity 4,200 genera 35,000 species Type Species Noctua pronuba (Large Yellow Underwing) Subfamilies Acontiinae Acronictinae Aganainae Agaristinae Amphipyrinae Amphipyrinae Bagisarinae Bryophilinae Calpinae Catocalinae Cocytiinae Condicinae Cuculliinae Dilobinae Eucocytiinae Eustrotiinae Euteliinae Glottulinae Hadeninae Heliothinae Herminiinae Hypeninae Ipimorphinae Noctuinae Plusiinae Psaphidinae Raphiinae Stictopterinae Stiriinae Strepsimaninae Ufeinae The Noctuidae or Owlets... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps or manifolds, traditionally bound into book form, but also found in multimedia formats. ... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... In acoustics and telecommunication, the harmonic of a wave is a component frequency of the signal that is an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency. ... This article is about real and historical warfare. ... Table of Fortification, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... “Painter” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Tea (disambiguation). ... For the chemical substances known as medicines, see medication. ... Quatrain on Heavenly Mountain by Emperor Gaozong Hand-painted Chinese New Years duilian (對聯 couplet), a by-product of Chinese poetry, pasted on the sides of doors leading to peoples homes, at Lijiang City, Yunnan Poetry is the most highly regarded literary genre in ancient China. ... The space we live in is three-dimensional space. ... A raised-relief map or terrain model is a three dimensional representation, usually of terrain. ... This article is about the weather phenomenon. ... For other uses, see Rainbow (disambiguation). ... The history of ferrous metallurgy began far back in prehistory, most likely with the use of iron from meteors. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmakon (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and lego (λέγω) to tell (about)) is the study of how drugs interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. ... In general, diagnosis (plural diagnoses) has two distinct dictionary definitions. ... Pharmacotherapy is the practice of treating diseases with medication. ... Philology, etymologically, is the love of words. ... Horticulture (Latin: hortus (garden plant) + cultura (culture)) are classically defined as the culture or growing of garden plants. ... Pinguicula grandiflora Example of a Cross Section of a Stem [1] Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Zoology (from Greek: ζῴον, zoion, animal; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... Mineralogy is an earth science that involves the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals. ... For other uses, see Mineral (disambiguation). ... This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera...

Shen also took interest in human anatomy, dispelling the long-held Chinese theory that the throat contained three valves, writing, "When liquid and solid are imbibed together, how can it be that in one's mouth they sort themselves into two throat channels?"^[28] Shen supported that the larynx was the beginning of a bodily system that distributed the vital qi throughout the body from the air, and the esophagus as the simple tube that dropped food as nutrients into the stomach cavity.^[34] Following Shen's reasoning and correcting the findings of the dissection of executed bandits in 1045, an early 12th century Chinese account of a bodily dissection finally supported Shen's belief in two throat valves, not three.^[35] Also, the later Song Dynasty judge and early forensic expert Song Ci (宋慈; 1186–1249) would promote the use of autopsy in order to solve homicide cases, as written in his Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified.^[36] Human heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... The larynx (plural larynges), colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protection of the trachea and sound production. ... For other uses, see Qi (disambiguation). ... The esophagus (also spelled oesophagus/Å“sophagus, Greek ), or gullet is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. ... Dissected rat showing major organs. ... Forensics or forensic science is the application of science to questions which are of interest to the legal system. ... Song Ci (1186 - 1249), a forensic medical expert in the Song Dynasty wrote a book titled Xi Yuan Ji Lu ( Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified through Forensic Science). ... Post-mortem, postmortem and post mortem redirect here. ... Homicide (Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut, kill) refers to the act of killing another human being. ... // Explains “Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified” is a China ancient time’s forensic medicine work. ...

A plan and side view of a pound lock for canals, invented in China in the 10th century and written of by Shen Kuo.

Without the writing of Shen Kuo, the date which the drydock was first used in China would have remained unknown and uncertain.^[37] Shen Kuo wrote that in the Xi-Ning reign period (1068–1077) the court official Huang Huaixin devised a plan on how to repair 60 m (200 ft) long palatial boats that were a century old and in need of repair; essentially, Huang Huaixin devised the first use of the drydock in China to repair boats suspended out of water.^[37] These boats were then placed in a roof-covered dock warehouse to protect them from the eventual damage of weathering.^[37] Shen Kuo also wrote about the effectiveness of a relatively new invention (i.e. by the 10th century engineer Qiao Weiyo) of the pound lock to replace the old flash lock design used in canals.^[38] He wrote that it saved the work of five hundred annual labors, annual costs of up to 1,250,000 strings of cash, and instead of hauling boats of smaller size (hence lighter cargo of only 21 tons/21337 kg), the pound lock allowed canal traffic of large government-owned ships holding cargo weight of up to 700 tan (49½ tons/50294 kg) and large privately-owned ships holding cargo weight of up to 1600 tan (113 tons/114813 kg).^[38] Very basic diagram of canal lock gates, made on 5th January 2003 by Nommo File links The following pages link to this file: Canal lock Categories: GFDL images ... Very basic diagram of canal lock gates, made on 5th January 2003 by Nommo File links The following pages link to this file: Canal lock Categories: GFDL images ... A pound lock is type of canal lock which is used almost exclusively today. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ... The quintessential medieval European palace: Palais de la Cité, in Paris, the royal palace of France. ... The Song Dynasty (960–1279) was a period of Chinese history and human history in general that provided some of the most prolific advancements in early science and technology, much of it through talented statsemen drafted by the government (see Imperial examinations). ... A pound lock is type of canal lock which is used almost exclusively today. ... Early locks were designed with a single gate, known as a flash lock. ... This article is about transported goods. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... KG, kg or Kg can refer to several things: Kilogram, the SI base unit of mass. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... KG, kg or Kg can refer to several things: Kilogram, the SI base unit of mass. ... Look up ton in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... KG, kg or Kg can refer to several things: Kilogram, the SI base unit of mass. ...

Along with the introduction of the drydock, if it were not for Shen Kuo's extensive analysis and quoting of the written work of the 10th century architect Yu Hao, the latter's work would have been lost to history.^[39]d[›] The preserved writing of Yu Hao in Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays is even more valuable considering the fact that Yu Hao's famed wooden Chinese pagoda was burnt down by lightning in 1044, replaced soon after by a brick-built pagoda tower of similar height, the Iron Pagoda built in 1049. For other uses, see Architect (disambiguation). ... Yu Hao was a late 10th century Chinese architect of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). ... The Chinese Pagoda is a landmark in Birmingham. ... The Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng, China, built in 1049 AD during the Song Dynasty. ...

Shen Kuo's scientific literature has received worldwide acclaim by many sinologists such as Joseph Needham and Nathan Sivin. His work has often been compared to that of his equally brilliant Chinese contemporary Su Song (1020–1101), the mechanical genius who incorporated a waterwheel, clepsydra, escapement mechanism, and chain drive to operate the armillary sphere, opening doors, and rotating manikins beating drums, bells, and holding plaques of announcement for his astronomical clock tower. Shen Kuo has also been compared to many Western intellectual achievers and polymaths, such as Gottfried Leibniz and Mikhail Lomonosov.^[40] Sinology is the study of China, which usually requires a foreign scholar to have command of the Chinese language. ... Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (December 9, 1900 – March 24, 1995) was a British biochemist and pre-eminent authority on the history of Chinese science. ... Nathan Sivin (11th May 1931-present) is an American author, scholar, sinologist, historian, essayist, and currently a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. ... Su Song 蘇頌 (1020 – 1101), style Zirong 子容, was a Chinese engineer. ... An overshot water wheel standing 42 feet high powers the Old Mill at Berry College in Rome, Georgia A water wheel (also waterwheel, Norse mill, Persian wheel or noria) is a hydropower system; a system for extracting power from a flow of water. ... A water clock or clepsydra is a device for measuring time by letting water regularly flow out of a container usually by a tiny aperture. ... A simple escapement. ... Roller chain and sprocket Mack AC delivery truck at the Petersen Automotive Museum with chain drive visible Chain drive was a popular power transmission system from the earliest days of the automobile. ... Armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations known as a spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of the celestial sphere, invented by the ancient Greek Eratosthenes in 255 BC. Its name comes from the Latin armilla (circle, bracelet), since it has a skeleton made of graduated metal circles linking... A pair of mannequins A mannequin (alternately, manikin, mannikin, manakin, dummy, or form) is a life-size, articulated doll mainly used to display clothing. ... Prague astronomical clock Astronomical clock in Lund Cathedral An astronomical clock is a clock with special mechanisms and dials to display the relative positions of the sun, moon, zodiacal constellations, and sometimes major planets. ... Clocktower at Geelong Grammar School, Victoria, Australia A clock tower is a tower built with one or more (often four) clock faces. ... Occident redirects here. ... “Leibniz” redirects here. ... Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov (Михаи́л Васи́льевич Ломоно́сов) (November 19 (November 8, Old Style), 1711 – April 15 (April 4, Old Style), 1765) was a Russian writer and polymath who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. ...

Mathematics

An 18th century diagram of camera obscura.

In the broad field of mathematics, Shen Kuo mastered many practical mathematical problems, including many complex formulas for geometry,^[41] 'packing' equations for calculus,^[42] and chords and arcs problems employing trigonometry.^[43] He wrote extensively about what he had learned while working for the state treasury, including mathematical problems posed by computing land tax, estimating requirements, currency issues, metrology, and so forth.^[44] Shen once computed the amount of terrain space required for battle formations in military strategy,^[45] and also computed the longest possible military campaign given the limits of human carriers who would bring their own food and food for other soldiers.^[46] Shen Kuo experimented with the pinhole camera and burning mirror as the ancient Chinese Mohists had done in the 4th century BC. Although the Iraqi Muslim scientist Ibn al-Haitham (965–1039) was the first to experiment with camera obscura, Shen Kuo was the first to apply geometrical and quantitative attributes to the camera obscura, just several decades after Ibn al-Haitham's death.^[47] Using a fitting metaphor, Shen compared optical image inversion to an oarlock and waisted drum.^[48] Shen wrote about the earlier Yi Xing (一行; 672–717), a Buddhist monk who applied an early escapement mechanism to a water-powered celestial globe. By using mathematical permutations, Shen described Yi Xing's calculation of possible positions on a go board game. Shen calculated the total number for this using up to five rows and twenty five game pieces, which yielded the number 847,288,609,443.^[49][50] However, some of his most impressive written work in mathematics would be applied to his work in astronomy. Camera obscura from the Encyclopédie File links The following pages link to this file: Camera obscura Categories: Public domain images | NowCommons ... Camera obscura from the Encyclopédie File links The following pages link to this file: Camera obscura Categories: Public domain images | NowCommons ... The camera obscura (Lat. ... For other meanings of mathematics or math, see Mathematics (disambiguation) and Math (disambiguation). ... Calabi-Yau manifold Geometry (Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth, metria = measure) is a part of mathematics concerned with questions of size, shape, and relative position of figures and with properties of space. ... For other uses, see Calculus (disambiguation). ... Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Trigonometry All of the trigonometric functions of an angle θ can be constructed geometrically in terms of a unit circle centered at O. Trigonometry (from Greek trigōnon triangle + metron measure[1]), informally called trig, is a branch of mathematics that deals with... Land Value Taxation (LVT) is the policy of raising state revenues by charging each landholder a portion of the assessed site-only value of the unimproved land. ... Metrology (from Greek metron (measure), and -logy) is the science of measurement. ... This article is about real and historical warfare. ... This article is about a military rank. ... Principle of a pinhole camera. ... Founded by Mo Zi (whose actual surname was Di, and whose given name was Mo), Mohism (墨家), or Moism, is a Chinese philosophy that evolved at the same time as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism (Hundred Schools of Thought). ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Ibn al-Haytham depicted in an Iraqi 10,000-dinar note. ... The camera obscura (Lat. ... Geometry (from the Greek words Ge = earth and metro = measure) is the branch of mathematics first introduced by Theaetetus dealing with spatial relationships. ... A scale for measuring mass A quantitative property is one that exists in a range of magnitudes, and can therefore be measured. ... Rowlocks, also known as oarlocks, are pivoting crutches that support and guide the oars of a rowboat, acting to transfer some of the thrust to the boat. ... Yi Xing (Yi-xing) (一行) (683 – 727) was a Chinese astronomer and buddhist monk of the Tang Dynasty. ...