Shěn Kuò zài 《 Mèngxī bǐtán 》 lǐ jìxià le Bì Shēng fāmíng de huózì yìnshuā.
In the Dream Pool Essays, Shen Kuo recorded the movable-type printing that Bi Sheng invented.
Tips
history
He served in the reforms of 王安石, ran the court's astronomy bureau, went as envoy to the Liao and commanded on the frontier against the Western Xia, until a defeat in 1082 ended his career. He spent his last years at his garden 梦溪 in 镇江.
culture
He gave Chinese the word 石油, 'rock oil', for the petroleum he saw seeping from the ground in northern Shaanxi, and predicted it would one day be widely used. His book also has the earliest clear description of a magnetic compass needle.
