Scientist and Philosopher
SHEN KUO(1031/1095) was a scientist and philosopher during the Northern Song Dynasty.
FAST FACTS:
- Other than a scientist, he also served as an envoy and also directed troops during small skirmishes against invaders in the countryside. At one point, he was the highest ranking official at the imperial observatory.
- His most famous work is the “Meng Xi Bi Tan” translating to “Dream Pool Essays” in English. In this, he wrote about numerous species across the dynasty. He is one of the first people to analyze and/or write about species like the giant clam of the South China Sea. Other than writing about his experiences, he also looked at some ways of reducing pests to improve agricultural yields.
- Believe it or not, in his “Dream Pool Essays,” he mentions the creation of the moveable type by a local artisan. This is 400 years before the first “official” printing press was built by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany.
- As many know, the Chinese were some of the first in the world with enhanced navigation skills. He is one of the reasons why they advanced faster than most other societies and civilizations. Kuo was the first scientist to correctly identify magnetic north and the idea of a compass using Earth’s magnetic field.
- He also was an environmentalist who realized the importance of species in an ecosystem and how they all live off of one another. When studying habitats on Mount Yadang, he noted the erosion of cliffs and was the first to hypothesize that this occurred from water flow.
- One unique fact about Kuo was his observations of UFOs. He was actually the first person to ever write about unidentified flying objects. He described them as “bright as pearls.” He never thought of these objects as ships carrying extraterrestrial beings. Rather, he connected it back to his culture’s supernatural spirits.
To learn more about Shen Kuo, check out the links below: