So it was a very complex process. The Chinese invented the compass and then used it to travel the open seas. NOVA: It sounds like these technological innovations and the economic boom went hand in ...

Primarily, the compass was used for geomancy for a long time before it was used for navigation Ancient Chinese alchemists realized that the magnetite ore would point towards a magnetic north. Their ...

The invention of the compass promoted maritime undertakings, and its use soon spread to the Arab world, and thence to Europe. China's four great ancient inventions made tremendous contributions to ...

Somehow, they stumbled upon papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the mariner's compass. Many are surprised to realize that modern ... in a well-illustrated and informative book by Robert Temple (The ...

The first invention in China in the seventh century was the paper currency. Paper currency is one of China’s most important inventions as paper currency has been adopted worldwide. Usage of paper ...

Until the arrival of GPS, the magnetic compass was the single most useful navigational tool available to humans. But it’s a recent invention. Although Chinese explorers understood the principles of ...

The invention of the wheel was a transformative ... relying on the stars. The Chinese created the first compass between the ninth and eleventh centuries. It was made of lodestone, an inherently ...