[MichaelGroves]

No one talks about it? China inventing paper, printing and gunpowder is something every school child knows. I think I've heard about it about a million times. These facts are common knowledge; certainly paper and gunpowder.

Printing is an odd example; the reason Gutenberg was influential is not the reason most people think. He did not invent movable type. He invented systems for mass producing movable type, particularly technology for casting type blocks out of metal, instead of carving them out of wood. So yes, movable type was invented in China. But no, Gutenberg's contribution was not "stealing from the Chinese" (as has become popular to claim on the internet these days...) The root of this particular misconception is the general public's general ignorance of printing technology.

[AussieWog93]

>China inventing paper, printing and gunpowder is something every school child knows.

Just anecdata, but prior to reading your comment I thought the Egyptians invented paper (papyrus) and Gutenberg invented printing.

[jonplackett]

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]

It's "the four great inventions" the fourth is the compass. Sure, but what have they done for us in last few millenias? :)

[MichaelGroves]

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.

[onethought]

Why do you need to mass produce moveable type? Don’t you just need one of each letter? Or in the context of Chinese: one for each stroke (so perhaps a simpler problem).

[CRConrad]

Count the number of letters on any single newspaper page: You need a whole bunch of each letter. Also, AIUI, they wear out with use, so you need a steady supply of fresh new ones.