Who invented the four great inventions?

China's four great inventions are the compass, papermaking, gunpowder and movable type printing. Inventors: Cai Lun improved papermaking on the basis of predecessors, and Bi Sheng invented printing. The inventors of the compass and gunpowder are not clearly recorded in history, but it is said that Sun Simiao had a lot to do with the invention of gunpowder. The compass was invented by Emperor Xuanyuan in 2700 BC.

compass

Compass is a simple instrument used to determine orientation, formerly known as Sina. But who invented Sina is still inconclusive. According to legend, it was invented by Xuanyuan Huangdi in 2700 BC. China's ancestors used natural magnets to make directional spoons. During the Wei Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms, Ma Jun made a mechanical device that could indicate the direction with magnets and differential gears.

make paper

This is an outstanding invention in the history of human civilization. As early as the Western Han Dynasty, the working people in China could already make paper. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cai Lun improved papermaking on the basis of summarizing predecessors' experience. He made plant fiber paper from bark, hemp head, rags and old fishing nets. Cai Lun was once named "Dragon Pavilion Hou", so people called this piece of paper he created "Cai Hou Paper". Since the 6th century, papermaking has gradually spread to Korea and Japan, and then to Greece and Italy in Europe through Arabia, Egypt and Spain.

gunpowder

It is a black or brown explosive made of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur by mechanical mixing. At first, it was made into powder, and later it was generally made into particles of different sizes for different purposes. Smokeless powder was used as the only military propellant until it was used.

Gunpowder was invented by an ancient alchemist during the Sui and Tang Dynasties in China, and it has been 1000 years. The specific inventor has not been verified, but it is recognized that the invention and spread of gunpowder is closely related to Sun Simiao, the "drug king" in the Tang Dynasty, so it is speculated that Sun Simiao is the inventor of gunpowder.

be printed from type

In the early Tang Dynasty of the 7th century, books printed by block printing appeared in China. 165438+In the Song Dynasty in the middle of the 20th century, Bi Sheng invented movable type printing, which made printing widely popular. Woodblock printing in China spread from Arabia to Europe after 1 1 century, and to Egypt around12nd century. With the spread of papermaking, paper has successively replaced papyrus in Egypt, Indian leaves and sheepskin in Europe, which has triggered a great change in writing materials in the world. From 14 to 15 century, printing became popular in Europe.