Chinese technologies and European connection

Question 1

What was the initial Chinese compass? What was it used for?

Answer 1

For political predictions.

Question 2

What is strange about China being the most advanced civilization in the world?

Answer 2

Didn’t do anything with it, had the potential to conquer the world, but never did.

Question 3

What was ‘Black powder’?

Answer 3

Potassium nitrate, ‘elixir of life’, later became gunpowder. Used to chase away evil spirits from religion.

Question 4

Who invented rocketry? What did they use it for?

Answer 4

Chinese, for festivals.

Question 5

Why did the Chinese use their inventions differently than the Europeans might have?

Answer 5

Religion/world view, different approach to change. Change was unacceptable to the Chinese.

Question 6

What technology did the Chinese invent around 600 AD?

Answer 6

Exams.

Question 7

Why were exams important for the Chinese?

Answer 7

Used on children to obtain the best of the best to work for the government.

Question 8

How did exams select the best child?

Answer 8

Best kid from village would go to major town, then to city, then to final exam. Final exam was 7 days long.

Question 9

How did the domestication of pigs end the Roman empire?

Answer 9

Pigs’ urine combined with pigs’ droppings = potassium nitrate/gunpowder!

Question 10

How did the technology of gunpowder transfer civilizations from the Chinese?

Answer 10

China - Mongolia - Turkey - Bye bye Eastern Roman Empire.

Question 11

What did castles evolve into along the medieval age?

Answer 11

Palaces, as a need for books came up.

Question 12

What was the duty of knights in Europe?

Answer 12

To convert pagans to Christianity (would really just kill them)

Question 13

What was the problem with knights?

Answer 13

Had nothing to do except kill pagans and peasants all day, would just cause problems.

Question 14

What was the solution to the problem created by knights?

Answer 14

Send them on a crusade and get them out of here, there was no way they’d come back alive, right? Wrong, they captured Jerusalem instead lol

Question 15

What did the knights of the first crusade bring back from Jerusalem? Why?

Answer 15

A bunch of books, not because they could read, but because they knew they’d be worth something - books were rare.

Question 16

Who was Thomas Aquinas? What is his story?

Answer 16

An editor and translator of the books brought back from the first crusade.

He would edit Aristotelian and Platonic works, and write them into Christianity. Were “inspired by Christian god”.

Question 17

What were the 4 major technologies to do with printing?

Answer 17

1. Paper
2. Fast drying in
3. Reusable ink
4. Press

Question 18

When was paper invented and by whom? When did it come to Europe?

Answer 18

China, 1st century AD. Came to Europe in 11th century AD.

Question 19

How did the Europeans acquire the secret to paper?

Answer 19

Would torture the Chinese.

Question 20

What was a significant event in Europe in 1347? What is the story on how this would affect the paper industry?

Answer 20

Black death, wiped out half of Europe. The property of the dead (including their underwear) was intact and went into possession of the alive. Linen underwear would be turned into paper and then sold, wealth ensued for the living.

Question 21

What was the best way to show off your wealth in the medieval ages?

Answer 21

To own your personal bible.

Question 22

Who was responsible for copying the bibles by hand?

Answer 22

Monks.

Question 23

Why were the monks almost wiped out entirely during the black death?

Answer 23

They would pray really close together, leading to easier spread of the disease once one homie got it.

Question 24

What was the solution to the monks dying out and being unable to copy anymore bibles?

Answer 24

Gutenberg’s printing press.

Question 25

Who was Johannes Gutenberg?

Answer 25

A German goldsmith who invented oil based ink, and combined this technology with a printing press tech from China to create a European printing press in 1450.

Question 26

What was the first book printed by Gutenberg’s press? How many copies?

Answer 26

140 Bibles.

Question 27

What is Jikji?

Answer 27

A Korean document printed with movable metal type in 1377 AD.

Question 28

What is the reason Gutenberg became interested in the printing press?

Answer 28

Because of the bible, his motivation was money, he figured if he could find a way to print a lot of them he’d be rich.

Question 29

Who was Gutenberg’s business partner? What was his deal?

Answer 29

Fust, he was a crook who screwed Gutenberg.

Initial agreement was that Fust would provide initial investment and Gutenberg would pay back later after printing. Fust forged a contract that voided the above and walked into Gutenberg’s place before the sale of the bibles with police and his forged contract and kicked Gutenberg out on the street. Gutenberg would later die in poverty, most likely.

Question 30

In a 50 year time span, printed books went in quantity from 0 to how many?

Answer 30

11 million.

Question 31

What did Gutenberg’s printing press lead to? Why?

Answer 31

A scientific revolution. So many books started being made that not all of them could be checked by the church (as they once were). New ideas that would normally be blocked slipped through.