Shen Kuo
Shen Kuo (or Shen Gua Chinese: 沈括; pinyin: Shěn Kuò; Wade–Giles: Shen K'uo; 1031–1095) was a Chinese scientist and politician. He lived during the Song Dynasty. He was a polymath, being good at many fields of study.
Many of his most important works came from his use of astronomy. In 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation. He was also one of the first to suggest that the Earth goes through gradual climate change. His hobbies consisted of music, painting, calligraphy, and philosophy.
Shen Kuo Media
The Bencao on traditional Chinese medicine; printed with woodblock printing press in 1249; Shen grew ill often as a child, and so developed an interest in medicinal cures.
Shen's confidant, Emperor Shenzong of Song (r. 1067–1085), a Song era portrait painting.
Portrait painting of Wang Anshi.
Boundaries of the Northern Song dynasty, the Liao dynasty, and the Western Xia.
Painting of a Buddhist luohan, by Liu Songnian, painted in 1207; Shen Kuo not only listed literati painting as one of his cherished pastimes, but also Buddhist meditation.
A Han dynasty incense burner, showing artificial mountains as a lid decoration, which may have influenced the invention.
A side view of a pound lock for canals, invented in China in the 10th century and described by Shen.
Five bracket arm bases and two cantilever arms, from the Yingzao Fashi of 1103.
Yang Hui triangle (Pascal's triangle) using rod numerals, from a book by mathematician Zhu Shijie, 1303
An 18th-century diagram of camera obscura
