29 replies to this topic

[Zuo Zongtang]

Modern Physicists consider Tao everything modern day physics is, or soemthing to that extent. Check the book, the Tao of physics. Our Physics teacher is a Taoist.

[somechineseperson]

Modern Physicists consider Tao everything modern day physics is, or soemthing to that extent. Check the book, the Tao of physics. Our Physics teacher is a physicist.

...Not quite...just that it appears there is some philosophical parallels between modern physics and Daoist philosophy.

[LYY]

mohist stated the 3rd law of motion in 500bc long b4 newton did.

interesting ... can you provide any link?

[Zuo Zongtang]

...Not quite...just that it appears there is some philosophical parallels between modern physics and Daoist philosophy.

http://www.amazon.co...=books&v=glance

For those of you who want to learn more, thats the book.

And When I said our physics teacher was a physicist, I mean that he is a Taoist.

[Genghis_Khan]

How about those chinese scientist who make nuclear bomb for china.. ??

[yongzheng freak]

The only person that came to my mind is Hua Tuo - the chinese physician. I should say he's more of a researcher rather than an inventer. He's the chap who goes ropund experimenting with herbs on himslef and I think he finally poisoned himself.

[Sephodwyrm]

You guys should read more about Yuan Longping, recipient of the 2005 World Food price.

[Genghis_Khan]

Chinese scientists and inventors have accomplished much over the millenia. Sometimes their names are known and sometimes they aren't. For the names of some of them you can take a quick look at Chinse Science, Inventions, and Discoveries. You may also wish to search for relevant threads in the archive.

Wow... Is it true ??
Hand gun, cannon ??
then why the Ching still use sword to fight with foreigner?

[Mei Houwang]

The arrival of cannons/handgunns does not mean that swords would be put out of existence. Swords were in use all the way up to WW2, in which the Chinese dao was used against the Japanese in close combat situations(The Japanese also used the katana at times when the battle became too tight for guns). Swords were also used in cavalry in European dragoons(the saber) until the Industrial Revolution, in which lances replaced it. Lances were used on horseback until only after WW1. The French as well used short swords as backup for their artillerymen during WW1.

Edited by Anthrophobia, 28 April 2006 - 12:18 AM.

[Sephodwyrm]

Innovation-wise, the scientists under the tutelage of professor Yuan Longping developed indigenous techniques of creating hybrid lines, and are now considered leading experts in Genetically-enhancements of cereal crops.

Scientists are those who are able to make breakthroughs and pass on their knowledge. So Yuan Longping gets my vote as a great Chinese scientist.

[Non-Han Nan Ban]

Chinese inventions and contributions to modern society and technology? Hmm...None really come to mind right now. Yep. Pretty sure there was nothing China ever did to contribute to anything. Pretty sure about that...Oh wait! I almost forgot! The Chinese invented: the magnetic compass, the first siesmometer for measuring earthquakes (Zhang Heng), a mechanically driven mile-marking cart similar to that of the Western version made by the Greek Archimedes (another invention of Zhang Heng) roughly the same era, founded the formula for pi (Zhang Heng) like their contemporaries of the Hellenized Greeks in the West, invented the hydraulic-powered armillary sphere (dude! yet again, another of Zhang Heng, although the first armillary sphere to date was invented by the Greeks), the steel plow, clay blast furnaces that could reach temperatures of over 1000 degrees before the time of christ that could be used to smelt and cast iron and eventually steel weaponry and other accessories while Europe was still using the more primitive wrought-iron process, the first stirrup for the saddle on a horse for god's sake!!!, the Chinese INVENTED the material of paper (and no, not the rare papyrus plant unique to Egypt that the Mediterranean world used alongside leather strips of parchment), invented the crossbow before the Roman world had, they invented the first rocket propelled anything, the first handheld grenades, discovered the crude form of gunpowder and then even the more explosive form of blackpowder that enhanced the formula of saltpeter by extracting sodium nitrate to release more potassium nitrate, the Chinese INVENTED printing with woodblock printing and then moveable type printing of metal sheets and thousands of heated clay characters BEFORE Hans Gutenburg and his printing press, they discovered how to form and process silk from the mulberry tree silkworms, and quite arguably invented the rudder of the sailing ship! wow i'm out of breath. Should i go on? No, i think you guys get the point. I'll leave the rest to you. Please though, fill in the gaps of EVERYTHING i left out, because let's face it, i just grazed the tip of the ice berg on what the Chinese have contributed to the world.

Edited by Non-Han Nan Ban, 05 May 2006 - 07:34 PM.

[Genghis_Khan]

Any photo how the chinese made handgun and cannon look like ?

[bayonet]

For ancient Chinese Scientist, i would give most credit for Zhang Heng, who lived near 2000 years ago. This guy is amazing, you know, He is not just an inventor, mathematician, physician, geographer and astronomer if measured by today's yardstick, but also a writer . I ve read his essays and poems, they are just as great as any first rate writers in China. I always wonder how could he achieved his success in so widely differed aspects.

[bayonet]

Oh, I almost forget Zhang Heng is also a painter who ranked first among toppest painters in East Han era.

[Wujiang]

The problem with this topic is how to define 'science'.

Alot of scientists in ancient China are normally classified under things like sorcerers or magicians or alchemists or whatever you call people practicing systematic superstition and magic.

Due to the difference in paradigm in the understanding of the laws of the universe, what is percieved as science in China are normally seen as religion and superstition in the eyes of the west. This becomes more complicated when some experimentations ARE based on qausi-superstitious models.