Synopses & Reviews
In the second volume of his abridgement of Joseph Needham's original text, Colin Ronan looks in detail at the early Chinese contributions to various sciences. The first section deals with mathematics, and it is shown that the Chinese works were comparable with the pre-Renaissance achievements of the old world. This account is written with the non-mathematician in mind. The text is next concerned with the sciences of astronomy and meteorology, followed by the Earth sciences: geography, cartography, geology, seismology and mineralogy. Volume 2 closes with a description of some aspects of Chinese physics, including their predilection for the wave theory as opposed to particles, metrology, statics, hydrostatics, heat, light and sound.
Synopsis
This volume details the early Chinese contributions to various sciences. The first section deals with mathematics, showing that Chinese works were comparable with the pre-Renaissance achievements of the old world. Then the book goes on to cover astronomy and meteorology, Earth sciences and physics.
Synopsis
This second volume looks in detail at the early Chinese contributions to the sciences. The book begins with mathematics and goes on to discuss the sciences of astronomy, meteorology and the Earth sciences. It closes with a description of some aspects of Chinese physics, including the wave theory, metrology, statics, hydrostatics, heat, light and sound.
Table of Contents
List of illustrations; List of tables; Preface; 1. Mathematics; 2. The sciences of the heavens: (i) astronomy; 3. The sciences of the heavens: (ii) meteorology; 4. The sciences of the earth: (i) geography and map-making; 5. The sciences of the earth: (ii) geology and related sciences; 6. Physics; Table of Chinese dynastics; Bibliography; Index.