Catalogued according to different scientific fields, the book draws wisdom from authoritative experts in the institute of the History of Natural Sciences (IHNS) from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and comprehensively introduces ancient Chinas scientific and technological achieve- ments in such fields as astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology, biology, agriculture, medicine, printing, spinning and weaving, metal-lurgy and foundry, machinery, architecture, ship-building and navigation, and military technology, etc. This book is Of high academic quality yet writ- ten in the simplest language possible, and thus is a very readable popular science collection.
PREFACE
RECORDS OF ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS
ASTROMETRY AND ASTROMETRIC INSTRUMENTS
CHINESE CALENDARS
MATHEMATICAL CLASSICS
THE DECIMAL PLACE-VALUE NUMERATION AND THE ROD AND BEAD ARITHMETICS
THE OUT-IN COMPLEMENTARY PRINCIPLE
METHOD FOR DETERMINING SEGMENT AREAS AND EVALUA- TION OF
THE CHINESE REMAINDER THEOREM
THE NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF HIGHER EQUATIDNS ANDTHE TIANYUAN METHOD
MECHANICS
ACOUSTICS
MAGNETISM AND THE COMPASS
OPTICS
THE INVENTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF PAPERMAKING
GUNPOWDER AND FIREARMS
PORCELAIN
LACQUER AND LACQUER TECHNIQUE
ALCHEMY IN ANCIENT CHINA
PHENOLOGICAL CALENDARS AND KNOWLEDGE OF PHE- NOLOGY
WATER CONSERVANCY PROJECTS AND KNOWLEDGE OFHYDROLOGY
MAPS 2,000 YEARS AGO AND ANCIENT CARTOGRAPHICAL RULES
ROCKS, MINERALOGY AND MINING
EARTHQUAKE FORECASTING,PRECAUTIONS AGAINST EARTHQUAKES AND ANTI-SEISMIC MEASURES
RESEARCHES IN HEREDITY AND BREEDING
SOME OUTSTANDING WORKS ON AGRICULTURE
SERICULTURE
HORTICULTURE
TEA
TWO CELEBRATED MEDICAL WORKS
ACUPUNCTURE AND MOXIBUSTION
ACHIEVEMENTS IN ANCIENT CHINESE PHARMACOLOGY
DIAGNOSIS BY PULSE FEELING IN CHINESE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE
……
中国科学院自然科学史研究所，Founded in 1957, the Institute of the History of Natural Sciences （IHNS）, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS）, is the sole comprehensive and multi-disciplinary organization devoted to research on the history of science and technology and its law of development, the relationship between science and other fields such as sociology, economics, thought and culture, and the relative development strategies of science and technology.
Since its founding, IHNS researchers have published more than 400 research works and more than 3,800 papers. Among them, some recent outstanding achievements include: General Collection of Works in Ancient Chinese Science and Technology （10 volumes, Comprising 50 books）, Comprehensive History of Chinese Culture. Science and Technology （10 volumes）, Contemporary and Modern History of Chinese Science, and Contemporary, and Modern History, of Chinese Technology; as well as astronomical dynastic research represented by Dynastic Project of the Xia, Shang and Zhou, research on world famous laboratories, and research on the origin and spread of the art of printing.
