Western histories of mathematics
have a habit of emphasising European contributions. For an antidote, have a look
at Christopher Cullen’s Astronomy and Mathematics in Ancient China. It’s a
translation of, and commentary on, the Nine Chapters, which reached final form
around the first century AD. Calendars, Pythagoras and the diagram of the seven
heng… Astonishing. Needham Research Institute Studies 1, published by
Cambridge University Press, £40/$69.95, ISBN 0521550890.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
4
I’m the first person whose life was saved by CRISPR base editing
5
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
6
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
7
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
8
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
9
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
10
The most detailed survey of the universe ever conducted starts now
