Re: Inventions

Jaime Tiampo schrieb:
> Donald Hosford wrote:
> > 
> > Now I must "weigh" in...according to this page, the 
> > chinese didn't invent the magnetic compass...they invented the 
"South	
> > Pointing Chariot".	They also state that nowhere does the 
> > chinese documentation ever discribe a "magnetic" compass.  

???? The "Introduction" chapter of that website states:
"...astronomy was another field of Chinese excellence, and the magnetic 
compass was known as well..." 

> > (Really cool!  Check it out!)

The whole site is pretty cool for nifty devices.
http://www.geocities.com/~rrice2/

> Actually I'll have to dissagree here. Magnetic compasses 
> were reported in china in 300 BC aprox. At least according to the 
books  
> that I have. 

Not entirely sure about the date, but certainly quite a number of 
centuries well before 1000 AD. There are quite a number of books on 
Chinese technical history, most notably those by Joseph Needham. 

Greetings