1031-1095
Scientist

Reputation. Shen Kuo's reputation has been mostly in the field of scientific writing: he was the first to illustrate and build orographic maps; the first to illustrate accurately the source of fossils and the marine origin of some rocks; and the first to hint at atmospheric refraction. Furthermore, his inquisitiveness aroused his interest in such subjects as music, painting, calligraphy, and philosophy, in addition to the technical applications of science, such as the workings of armillary spheres, dams, sluices, and calendars.

Early Life. In 1040, when Shen Kuo was only nine years old, he was fond of reading. His mother, a learned person, had a great impact on the boy. When he was eleven he started receiving a formal education, and in 1043 he followed his father to a new city, observing many towns on the way. Shen Kuo then began to study calligraphy. As a...