"There are many bungalows in the epicenter, but the ruins are still there, overgrown with weeds, and the pain has not been forgotten" . Various tragic experiences in history tell us that earthquakes are a kind of severe geological disaster that cannot be prevented.
From the Tangshan earthquake to the Wenchuan earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives in such severe geological disasters. The shocking damage figures have made the Chinese people feel sad.
While severe geographical disasters make everyone fearful, they also bring a difficult issue to scientists around the world, that is, how can they accurately predict the occurrence of this disaster?
Unfortunately, today’s technological level still cannot accurately predict the arrival of earthquakes. When it comes to the invention of seismic instruments, we have to mention a common figure we once saw in history textbooks- Zhang Heng.
Why are thousand-year-old ancient artifacts questioned?
"Book of the Later Han·Biography of Zhang Heng" records: In the first year of Yangjia, the wind and seismograph was copied. It is made of fine copper, with a diameter of eight feet, a bulging cover, and a shape like a wine statue. It is decorated with the shapes of turtles, birds and beasts in seal script.
At a time when earthquakes were frequent, Zhang Heng's seismometer was tested many times after its invention, and most of them could predict the occurrence of earthquakes relatively accurately. Although Zhang Heng's seismometer was questioned at the beginning of its invention, after many accurate tests After the prediction, people had no doubts about Zhang Heng's invention technology.
Of course, this great invention has been included in primary and secondary school textbooks, accompanying the growth of generations of young people. So, why was the Zhang Heng seismometer deleted from primary and secondary school textbooks in 2018? There is another story in this.
The original copy of Zhang Heng's seismograph has long since disappeared. It was not until the 1950s that Wang Zhenduo extensively consulted ancient books and restored Zhang Heng's seismograph to a certain extent.
But the biggest problem with this seismograph restoration incident is that the seismometer built by Wang Zhenduo only has a superficial appearance. It can be said to be a scientifically designed vase without any practical function.
The prototype of the seismometer that appeared in the textbook at that time did not point out that the picture was the seismograph restored by Wang Zhenduo. Such an imprecise selection of teaching materials caused heated discussions in the society. As a result, people also questioned the scientific nature of Zhang Heng’s seismometer. Further doubts.
The seismometer restored by Wang Zhenduo has caused great controversy in society. How can a vase with only appearance represent the advanced scientific and technological level of ancient China? After
, a more intense conflict occurred . When the seismometer was displayed in Japan, the field test results were extremely unsatisfactory, which put the scene into an extremely embarrassing situation.
What's more, Japanese researchers directly pointed out the error in the straight rod principle. American scholars also believed that the production principle of Zhang Heng's seismometer was unclear. At this point, Zhang Heng's seismometer was pushed to the forefront, and it faced more and more negative voices. more. Some people even said that "a piece of meat hanging from a roof beam is better than it", which is full of irony.
The unattainable wisdom of the ancients
"The test is based on things, and the agreement is like a god." The Later Han Dynasty highly praised Zhang Heng's invention of the seismograph. However, today, the restored seismograph has been questioned, and it is a worthy thing today. Things that people reflect on.
The most fundamental reason why Wang Zhenduo's restored seismograph has been so questioned is that it does not really touch the charm of Zhang Heng's seismograph.
In other words, Zhang Heng’s seismometer has not been truly restored. Wang Zhenduo’s restoration only touched the surface, but did not further touch the invention of the internal structure of Zhang Heng’s seismograph. Zhang Heng’s invention was too complicated and elusive for future generations. .
Zhang Heng himself did not record this in detail, and there is no physical object circulating today. It is extremely difficult for people today to truly restore the seismometer.
Regarding the appearance of the seismograph, there are detailed records in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, "There are eight dragons outside, with a copper pill at the head and a toad below, and the mouth is open to receive it."
Its body is like a giant wine bottle. There are eight dragons carved on the outside of the wine bottle, each holding a copper ball in its mouth. Once there is a sign of an earthquake in that direction, people can quickly judge by the direction of the dragon spitting beads. Find out the location of the earthquake disaster and carry out timely disaster relief and relief activities.
Even though many people have doubts about the spirituality of the seismometer, our historical records clearly record the occurrence of geological disasters in a certain year. This obviously provided feasible first-hand data for Zhang Heng’s invention of the seismograph, and provided him with His inventions and creations laid the foundation of data.
The reason why Zhang Heng’s seismometer was ridiculed by professors, or more precisely, the restored Zhang Heng’s seismograph was greatly ridiculed, is that later generations did not touch upon the fundamentals of Zhang Heng’s invention, nor did they It truly reaches the wisdom of the ancients.
Although the appearance and production principles of the seismometer have been recorded in detail in history books, future generations still cannot completely restore it based on historical data. From the philosophy of Lao and Zhuang, to Song Yingxing 's " Tiangong Kaiwu " , it has to be said that the ancients have already laid a profound foundation for Chinese philosophy and Chinese science.
Chinese science advancing amidst twists and turns
Although our ancestors have left us a profound cultural heritage, we cannot belittle ourselves and think that the wisdom of today's people will never surpass that of our ancestors.
Judging from the invention of the seismograph alone, there is still no definite evidence to prove the actual usefulness of the seismograph. All conclusions are still based on speculation based on historical records. It is undeniable that Hanshu gave Zhang Heng's seismograph such a high evaluation, perhaps because Because it represented the highest achievement of science at that time and was suitable for the development of that era.
"The deeds of the past are the guide of the future." After the restored Zhang Heng seismograph experienced huge doubts, a group of cultural scholars in our country did not become decadent. Instead, they defied all opinions and began to study the seismograph with confidence. Restore again.
Through the unremitting efforts of researchers and extensive attention from the society, they relatively successfully restored Zhang Heng’s seismometer, and found out the misunderstandings that failed the first restoration. At the practical level, they were also able to predict the results more accurately. The location where the earthquake occurred.
However, from this point of view, researchers do not dare to say with certainty that they have truly restored Zhang Heng’s seismograph and are sure that it has the same effect as Zhang Heng’s seismograph. After all, no one dares to do something that has happened for thousands of years. thesis.
The story of Zhang Heng and the seismometer can be described as "Every time I make a wave, I often break my pen three times." The seismometer restored by Wang Zhenduo was written as a teaching material amidst the loose selection of materials, and it was finally completed in the teaching materials amidst the condemnation of professors and the doubts of the public. There are many funny things, but it can't help but make everyone sigh.
The selection of general literature should be more rigorous. Therefore, it is not surprising to remove the seismometer from the book. It is just a pity that the crystallization of the wisdom of our ancestors is so difficult for our descendants to touch. Fortunately, there are scientists who are persistent in exploring and continue to promote it. The forward development of Chinese science.
