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>China inventing paper, printing and gunpowder is something every school child knows. Just anecdata, but prior to reading your comment I thought the Egyptians

• MichaelGroves 5y ago
  When I was in elementary school I made paper out of cut up blue jeans and learned that it was invented in China. I also learned that the Egyptians invented papyrus, which was similar to paper but shittier. Recalling it now, I also remember that I grew up in a paper mill town.. so maybe my school placed an unusually strong emphasis on paper. Still, I don't think China inventing paper is esoteric knowledge in America. I can't remember when I first heard that China invented wooden movable type, but I do recall reading about it a whole lot online in discussions quite like this one.
• jonplackett 5y ago
  Nitpick: Paper is different to papyrus and was much more important because you don’t need reeds to make it, which Egypt had a monopoly of. After the Roman Empire collapsed no-one could get papyrus and had to use parchment which was super expensive and resulted in most people becoming illiterate because they could’t afford writing / reading material (the dark ages) Then paper came along (from China) and made it cheap again.
• entropicgravity 5y ago
  It's "the four great inventions" the fourth is the compass. Sure, but what have they done for us in last few millenias? :)