(1020 – 1101)
Su Song was an awe-inspiring polymath whose scientific accomplishments boosted the fields of mathematics, logic, astronomy, cartography, geography, medicine, metallurgy and engineering. Equally adept in arts, he left impressive works in philosophy, sociology, literature, administration, arbitration, jurisprudence and commerce. With regards to theory and practice, he remains till this day one of the world’s most brilliant and most versatile scholars. From lunar mansions to astronomical meridians, his expertise was profound. He would as well create various charts and maps which were grouped as: terrestrial atlases, celestial atlases and star maps. Altogether they gave accurate depictions of meridians, equator, pole stars, etc. As engineer, he masterminded the design and construction of the famous 12-meter-tall water-powered astronomical clock at Kaifeng. This incorporated an armillary sphere that bore (the first and the oldest known) endless power-transmitting chain-and-sprocket-drive. Su Song would also compile and document medicinal plants (in a comprehensive encyclopedia he titled Bencao Tujing), whose basis influenced Li Shizhen’s Bencao Gangmu half-a-millennium later. The vast range of his works, together with the various items he developed, helped consolidate his position as one of Asia’s most innovative inventors. Many fields he delved into mirrored those of his equally astute contemporary: Shen Kuo. Although he excelled Kuo in practical engineering, majority of his publications (just like Kuo’s), did not survive. However, there are numerous references, citations, and translated versions of his works which remain extant. Su Song’s fame still endures in China. His memorials abound in Quanzhou, in Kaifeng, as well as in other cities.
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