Calliope articles from February 2007

Calliope archives from February 2007

5 'Bloody' facts from China in the second century B.C.(blood circulation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... 1 A medical manual details how the blood circulates through the arteries, veins, and capillaries of the body. 2 To determine statistics on blood flow, doctors remove blood v essels from corpses and carefully measure their length. 3...

A closed mind is like a closed book--just a block of wood.(inventions of Chinese)
February 1, 2007... THINK YOU KNOW WHO INVENTED PAPER? HOW ABOUT FIREWORKS? MAN-CARRYING FLYING MACHINES? UMBRELLAS? The Muse Clliope knew there was one answer to all the questions: "the Chinese." But, she wanted to learn more about when and how, and also if there...

China at the forefront.
February 1, 2007... For several thousand years, the ancient routes across Asia and into Europe that we call the "Silk Road" were a conduit for the flow of technology. Some of these scientific advances, including glassmaking and the making of iron and copper from...

Metallurgy in ancient China.
February 1, 2007... One of the best examples of how the people of ancient China understood the natural world can be seen in the development of metallurgy. The casting of bronze a carefully measured mixture of copper, tin, and lead--reached levels of sophistication...

Magic mirrors.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... To increase the reflecting power of their shiny surfaces, Chinese bronze mirrors contained a high percentage of tin. East symbolic figures and characters decorated the back side. Fifth-century mirrors seemed magical because they apparently...

Iron makes a difference.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In ancient China, bronze was not used to any great extent for agricultural tools. The traditional stone, bone, and wooden tools of previous periods continued to be used for farming during China's Bronze Age (about 1800-400 B.C.). It was a...

Ringing the bells.(music history in China)
February 1, 2007... Music has played an important role in the cultures of ancient China since at least 9,000 years ago. At the site of Jiahu, archaeologists recently found nearly 36 bone flutes carved from the long wing bones of the red-crowned crane. Remarkably,...

The umbrella.(chariots discovered)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In 1980, archaeologists excavating a pit near the tomb mound of Qin Shi Huangdi, self-proclaimed First Emperor who unified China during the Qin dynasty, unearthed two chariots made of bronze. Each was fitted with a bronze, ribbed umbrella,...

Bowls that sing.
February 1, 2007... These "magic bowls" appear to be ordinary containers. But, strike one with a mallet, and it makes beautiful music! Or, rub another, and water inside the bowl will spout high into the air! These remarkable vessels are China's "magical...

Predicting earthquakes.
February 1, 2007... "Earthquake! The very word scares even the bravest people, as this powerful geological shifting of the earth's tectonic plates can cause massive loss of life and destruction of buildings and property. Asia has long been plagued by these...

Build a seismograph.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... "I Know an earthquake is coming because a dragon told me" Is that just a fantasy story? No! It is actually another example of highly advanced Chinese science. Almost 2,000 years ago, an inventor named Zhang Heng built a mechanical device...

On books baked in ovens and counting with chopsticks.
February 1, 2007... Today, the combination of digits 123 means something more than just "one, two, three!" Because we are so accustomed to this way of writing, we immediately recognize the combination as "one hundred twenty-three." This format was invented...

Now, test your math ability!(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... 1. How would the Babylonians have written 12, 345? 2. What does this number, written on the old clay tablet, represent-Y 3. Was the Chinese way of representing zero better than the Mesopotamian way? Why? 4. How many counting rods...

1 Potter + clay + fire = porcelain.
February 1, 2007... Porcelain! A hard, white variety of ceramic ware, it is used today on a daily basis around the world. Although the Chinese had invented the process of making it by the 8th century, they kept their manufacturing method a secret for hundreds of...

Word origins.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Balloon Picture a round, inflated balloon. What everyday object does it most closely resemble? Right--a ball! Actually, both words have the same origin: the Italian noun balla, meaning "ball." Digging a bit further, we find that when the...

Word stories.(etymology)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... HELICOPTER Here's a word that brings an image immediately to mind--and the image almost certainly depicts the origin of the term: two Greek nouns--helikos, meaning "spiral," and pteron, meaning "wing." So, next time you see a helicopter...

A few 'Tetchie' roots.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... In this issue about China's role in technology, the Muse Calliope decided to check out the origins of words related to the topic. Here are a few: ENGLISH WORD MEANING DERIVATION Factory A building in...

Chinese junks: the gong sounds and the drum beats begin--signal that a junk is about to sail.(shipbuilding)
February 1, 2007... Until very recently, China was not considered a major world sea power. Still, the nation has a long history of seafaring and has won renown for its inventions and innovations in the fields of shipbuilding and shipping. Yet, a look at models of...

Zheng He's voyages.(shipbuilding)
February 1, 2007... During the Ming dynasty, seven oceanic voyages set sail from China under the command of Zheng He between 1405 and 1433. All had the same goals: to persuade foreign emperors to pay tribute, to forge strategic alliances, to fight against pirates,...

Fire power.(China)
February 1, 2007... While the Chinese are well known for inventions that have enhanced the daily lives of ordinary people, they were equally adept at designing new machines and products for use in war. From the fifth to the third centuries B.C., the use of...

The wheelbarrow.(chariots discovered)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Two-wheeled chariots excavated from Chinese tombs prove that the Chinese had the wheel as early as the Shang dynasty (18th-11th century B.C.). By the 2nd century B.C., 4- and 8-wheeled carriages were also being used. Ge Yu a real or possibly a...

Seeing stars.(astronomical observatories)
February 1, 2007... The ancient Chinese believed that celestial phenomena had a deep impact on all aspects of life, including politics. For example, in one of the 25 official dynastic histories, we read that solar eclipses foretell that government officials will...

To fly on silken wings.(kites)
February 1, 2007... "Our aerial observers have landed," the soldier reported. "They have spotted the enemy from the air." "Then we must launch all our flyers!" the general ordered. "Arm them for battle!" These sound like modern air force...

Balloons, parachutes & more.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Canton, China, A.D. 1180: Like a spy in a James Bond movie, a master thief has just stolen a priceless gold statue from the top of a tower, 20 stories high. But can this bandit escape with his prize? Yes! By using two huge umbrellas, the thief...

Build a 'bamboo dragonfly'.(helicopters)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Centuries before modern aviation, Chinese artisans created their own flying marvel--the world's first model helicopter! The invention was the inspiration for the helicopters that we fly today. Now you can construct your own version of this...

Can we tame the flooding river?(flood control in China)
February 1, 2007... In China, the difference between life and death often depended on flood control and irrigation. To be sure, the Chinese have a long and distinguished history of controlling floods and irrigating the land. Yu the Great, a legendary wise ruler...

Biological pest control.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Today, many American fruit growers reduce their use of pesticides by using "good" bugs to kill bad" bugs. A new method? No! For centuries, the Chinese have encouraged natural pest controls, which include placing praying mantises in...

Let's make paper.
February 1, 2007... The early Chinese carved their written words on animal bones, shells, jade, and common stone. They also cast their words in bronze and carved and stamped them in clay. Among the most common forms of stationery were strips of bamboo and wood,...

Ask Calliope.(Column)
February 1, 2007... [?] Did the Maya have a moon goddess? --Tasha, 13, Web post [!] Yes--she was portrayed as a beautiful young woman. Often she is depicted on painted pottery holding a rabbit in her arms and sitting in a crescent moon. The rabbit is the...

Books.(The Genius of China )(Made in China )(Science in Ancient China )(Brief article)(Book review)
February 1, 2007... The Genius of China by Robert Temple and introduced by Joseph Needham (Simon and Schuster, 1986, www.simonsays.com) is a must-read for anyone interested in ancient Chinese technology. Impeccably researched, it is also easy to understand--and a...

Cobblestone resources.(OFF THE SHELF)
February 1, 2007... Materials that complement this issue's theme, "Made in China (A History of Firsts)" and are available from Cobblestone Publishing include: Lost Cities (CAL9105)--"Loyang: The Emperor's City in China," pages 26-32 Buddhism (CAL9503)...

On the net.(websites)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... For a NOVA interview with our author Robin Yates on China's Age of Invention, click on: www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/china/age.html Here's a site that has a section on inventions, and links to many other aspects of Chinese history...

Biorice: food of the future.
February 1, 2007... What do satellites, supercomputers, robots, and rice have in common? Answer: All four are commonly associated with the word "technology." But wait. What does technology have to do with the price of rice? In the near future, new uses of...

Immunization.(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... By the 1500s, the Chinese had developed methods of immunization as protection against smallpox, which, at the time, had no cure. They collected smallpox scabs, or poxes, of the less deadly form of the disease from people who had developed a few...