So long, farewell...

Hey all.
This is me again, with my actual final post, just for fun. :{
Anyway, that's pretty much all I had to say. Ha ha.
Thanks, everyone in Carpe Diem, for being such a great group this semester. And thanks to Dr.s Burton and Petersen for one of my most interesting college courses so far.

So guys, here's to hoping I'll be seeing you all around campus sometimes!

Live long and prosper!
    -Sam

Overshadowed and Overlooked: Folk Knowledge as the Foundation

Although it is by no means the most prominently recognized form of knowledge, folk knowledge is foundational to all other knowledge forms and institutions because it provides the basis for learning how to learn.

Final Blog Post - Samuel Watson

What Community Means

Communities are crucial to our sociality as humans, but the exact implications of that term have not always been what they are now. Over time, the mediums through which knowledge is passed have changed. Along with modifications in thought processes and knowledge institutions, each new knowledge medium has changed the concept of ‘community’ for those people who were able to use it.

Going Forth Unhindered

Time has changed the way in which religious knowledge is communicated. King Benjamin's masterful discourse demonstrates the power of the Spirit through oral communication. Sacred texts such as the Book of Mormon and the Bible drive the Spirit to the hearts of men through words of power. Though the mediums through which spiritual knowledge is communicated constantly change, one thing remains constant: the communication of the Spirit. Both oral and written communication are necessary parts of God's plan in touching his children by the power of his Spirit.

Oral communication, as a medium for the Spirit of God, has always existed. Over the course of history, powerful sermons have pierced the hearts of man by the Spirit of God. Sam Watson referenced President Packer's most recent address when he encouraged us to just listen to what the Spirit was telling us; that therein lies the true hidden gems that will guide our lives. President Packer understood the power of communicating by the Spirit through spoken words and listening. As a class we experienced this first-hand. I think we can all agree that we were touched as we listened to and recited King Benjamin's sermon. The power of the Spirit through oral means was manifested in that inspired activity.

As prophets of old delivered sermons and taught the people, our loving Heavenly Father commanded them to record their words for the benefit of future generations. In our "Salon" activity today, I told a personal experience from my mission about the power of the sacred words recorded in the Book of Mormon. Somehow, despite my horrendous presentation in the Spanish language, the Book of Mormon struck a chord in the heart of a child of God. It is doubtful that Brenda knew what I had said, but it didn't matter. The Spirit, communicated through words written in the Book of Mormon, had touched her heart at that moment in a way that my words could not.

In the "Salon", we were asked to argue both sides of this debate: "Within history, oral knowledge has had a more powerful effect upon spirituality and religious practice than other types of knowledge." From my discussions, both sides drew support. Kody Wood argued that our written texts cite countless examples where oral knowledge had a powerful effect on the listeners. He cited the account of Alma and Abinadi specifically. Another group member emphasized the need for written texts because the effects of oral communication can quickly fade (one generation for King Benjamin's people). Thinking about these examples, it became clear that our Heavenly Father never intended for there to just be one or the other. Words, from oral and written sources, are meant to be used in unison to "declare the word of God with much power unto the convincing of many people of their wickedness" (Alma 62:45).

The words of God, given orally or written by hand, are meant to bring the Spirit into the lives of his children. Print has made the word of God accessible on levels Luther and Tyndale could only have dreamed of. God brings about these advancements for the gathering of his elect. How it is done, by word or by print, is not so much the question as is who and from what source. The Spirit of God proceeds forth from the words of truth. Whether written or spoken, all words of God are confirmed by the Holy Ghost. All provide the spark that will kindle the life-long fire of testimony within each honest seeker of truth.

That's All, Folks!

In the relay of knowledge, the baton is never dropped. However, pieces of it are lost forever.

            Hello Carpe Diem!!! Hope finals are going well! Congrats to all on making it this far! I decided to put this up a little early since I have a test in the morning. So, after a few very interesting discussions this morning on all kinds of knowledge, I came up with my idea for my blog post!

            Knowledge has grown and changed much throughout the centuries. As knowledge institutions and mediums have progressed over the years from folk knowledge to the new frontier of digital knowledge today, there has been an ever increasing shift in its complexity as people strive to preserve the knowledge they already have while adding new knowledge onto it. Although many have attempted to preserve the various precursors to each new form of knowledge, each additional type of knowledge has accommodated less and less collaboration among the peoples of the world. 

Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen

Well Carpe Diem I have frantically finished all my final exams in an attempt to fly home early tomorrow morning. Since I will be on a plane tomorrow I decided I would post my final blog early tonight. I would first like to say its been a great semester and I was really glad I was able to learn from such fine bright peers. You guys have been very helpful in my attempt to gain as much knowledge as possible in this class. During the Salon my discussion always seemed to lead to one subject: the distinction between the Sophic view of knowledge and Mantic, what is spiritual knowledge and what is worldly and what are the implications of both? So naturally that is what I decided to make my thesis and final blog post about. Here it is:

While some would argue that certain types of knowledge are sophic and others mantic, there are elements of both the sophic and mantic in all four types of knowledge that we studied in class. Both views of knowledge are appropriate in certain contexts, while the mantic yields more effect in the transmitting of spiritual knowledge and the sophic has more effect with the transmission of more conventional and scientific knowledge. The question arises with the sophic vs. mantic, what are the different implications and spectrums of effectiveness between knowledge that is transmitted in a spiritual manner and knowledge communicated by worldly means.

Lots of Charts and Links: A Final Review

Follow the jump to see my review for the final!

Final Exam Part 1: Notes!!!

 Unit 1: Folk Knowledge

• The types of folk knowledge we discussed all brought people closer together. We discovered this especially through the teaching/learning assignment. As someone shared a little bit of themselves-their knowledge-the participants grew closer.
• There was a set way to do many things, probably based off of the emphasis on the sophic instead of the mantic viewpoint. 
• Many folk traditions helped explain the unknown.
• Because of the lack of writing things down, folk knowledge changed drastically with new technologies as older knowledge was valued less, and some was lost entirely. 
• Folk knowledge was a very present day oriented knowledge. Why worry about the future when you are struggling to survive?
• Now that we don't need many things that were used for survival when folk knowledge was the only form of knowledge, we are bringing them back for recreational purposes-as hobbies.

Unit 2: Oral Knowledge

• The group I researched, the Kalahari Bushmen, have always used folk and oral knowledge.
• More personal connection through oral knowledge-forced to communicate well in person.
• Still a big emphasis on religion with folk knowledge as seen in Bushmen culture.
• Examples of eloquence in the Bushmen culture used a lot of repetition and simple language.
• Is eloquence or simplicity more important in getting across the message of a story?
• In our group, possibility discussed of oral knowledge giving rulers too much power. Eloquence helped many get into power and get their way. More believable when only oral knowledge.
• Emotion/feeling lost when the transition is made from oral to written knowledge. Ex. sarcasm.
• Interview: when I only listened, I was able to remember the basic, important topics. Might not have remembered these if I was focused on notes. When I listened to recording and took notes, I picked up details more.
• King Benjamin's Speech: Repetition helped me remember better my part. Saying the speech out loud instead of reading it helped me connect with it more. Stronger feeling-could imagine how it would be to be there.

Unit 3: Written Knowledge

• Reading special collections book on written knowledge
• Shift to written knowledge slower than the development of a written language.
• I learned that language goes from spoken to simple pictures to ideographs and finally to the representation of sound through symbols. So, then, art and pictures can be seen as a form of writing.
• Written knowledge allows for a better preservation of knowledge.
• Hardships of learning to write: complexity of the language, social status (wealth and gender)
• Can penmanship connect with class standing?
• Is writing notes better than listening, both in church and in other instances?
• Shifts in forms of knowledge were opposed (change is scary). Drawbacks to the shift from oral to written knowledge? Ex. talks in church.
• Phonetic writing?
• Calligraphy project: learned that learning a new language is difficult and hugely frustrating.
• Rosetta stone: finding loopholes in a language, having different words for the same concept: ex. = a god. 
• Aesthetics and writing.

Unit 4: Print Knowledge

• Field Trip: fight over the control of print, print was a very powerful tool for convincing others. Those who rebelled might not be able to print: ex. Wycliffe's New Testament. Print allowed to reform religion.
• Bibliography: transition to only internet-accessible knowledge. Library had wide expanse of printed works.
• Paper: plagiarism not always bad. Print knowledge very effective-I can type faster than write and was able to print the paper in five seconds.
• I researched music print: staff was printed first, then notes were either added later by hand or by a second print. 
• Separate typeface for music and other languages. 
• Different methods for printing in different countries: in Asia, ceramic materials were used and there were multiple types for each character.
• Everyone seems to have used woodblock technology first.
• Printing was only quicker than writing if multiple copies were made.

Final Exam Notes

Well Carpe Diem it has been great working with you this semester and exploring the different ways of transmitting and learning knowledge. As the Final Exam is upon us I have prepare my notes for the Salon based of what I believe to be the most relevant and important examples of my learning this semester. I really like Scott's system of color coding so I also have color coded my notes in the same manner so that you may see which activites related to which learning outcome(s). Enjoy! And I'll see you tomorrow.

	Unit 1: Folk Knowledge	Unit 2: Oral Knowledge	Unit 3: Written Knowledge	Unit 4: Print Knowledge
Self-directed learning	- Learning Bugling - Japanese Art of Encoffinment - Coming of Age in Sparta	- General Conference - Church Talks - Anglo Saxon Epic Poetry -Priesthood Blessings	- Anglo Saxon Old English - Ancient Asian Universities of Knowledge - Japanese Calligraphy	- Chinese Movable Type /Wood Block Printing - Library Research on Censorship
Others' blogging	- Jenna's Magic of Music - Marc's Olympics religious and national	- Marc's Concrete - Sam's Communicating spiritual knowledge	- Alicia's written scientific languages (chemistry) - Scott's shorthand written knowledge	- Alicia's changes of printing - Jenna's pro plagiarism
Collaborative learning	- Sophic vs. Mantic - empiricism vs. rationalism - Culture effect on language and knowledge	- Practicing Shakespeare Speeches - Interview with english teacher on Anglo Saxons	- Japanese Calligraphy Sesh - Class Discussion and Group Discussion - Rosetta Stone	-Peer Review In Class - Collaborative Essay on Censorship
Projects / Activities	-Teaching Tennis - Group Exam and Skype Video	- King Benjamin Speech - Macbeth Speech	-Rosetta Stone Project -Teaching Calligraphy	-KJB Exhibit -Research Library -Censorship

Learning Objectives Key

1. HISTORY
   Students can characterize historical periods from antiquity through the Renaissance and identify and discuss representative texts, cultures, events, and figures.
2. KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTIONS
   Students can describe and analyze the characteristics and differences among knowledge institutions and media.
3. COMMUNICATING KNOWLEDGE
   Students recognize differences in the forms through which knowledge is preserved, communicated, and experienced and can interpret the consequences of these differences historically and personally.
4. KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
   Students become aware of and take responsibility for their knowledge skills and develop new learning strategies, including collaboration.
5. SHARING KNOWLEDGE
   Students can represent and share their knowledge of the history of civilization through formal and informal writing, oral communication, and teaching others.

Well that's it everyone, once again it has been great to be able to learn from you guys and teach you knowledge (like calligraphy). This is Andrew Whittle, knowledge seeker, officially signing off with a last quote (sorry I couldn't help myself):"A day may come when the knowledge of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the knowledge of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we learn! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you learn, Men of the West!"

Final Exam Review Chart

Hey Carpe Diem! I hope studying for the final has been going well for all of you. I created this chart with some of our different posts and how they pertain to the various categories that we were given. I have also color-coded a few so that we can see how they relate to the various learning outcomes. I hope that this helps give you a few ideas.

	Unit 1: Folk	Unit 2: Oral	Unit 3: Written	Unit 4: Print
Self-directed Learning	- Santa Clause - Short Hand - Business Culture - Oragami		- Gutenberg and the Reformation - Book of Mormon and Reformed Egyptian	- Medicine and Print - Picture Books done by block printing
Other’s Blogging	- Olympics: Religious vs. National (Marc) - Kalahari Bushman and traditions of rain - Camping (Alicia) - Priesthood Blessings (Andrew)	- President Packer: Communicating with the spirit orally (Sam) - Bushman: Oral to Rock to Written Knowledge (Jenna) - Church talks reverse the order: written to oral (Andrew)	- Testimony (Marc) - First Vision (Marc) - Pliny – Account of Pompei being destroyed (Marc) - Proto-Sinaitic symbols that were used to represent things that transformed into our modern language (Sam) - Written scientific languages, such as chemistry (Alicia)	- Jenna: Plagairism is a good thing! - Sheet Music: Wood Blocking (Jenna) - $$$$ (Kody Wood)
Collaborative Learning	- Origami - Mother tongue vs. Father tongue - Sophic vs. Mantic	- King Benjamin Speech Practice - Orality vs. Literacy	- Rosetta Stone	- In class essay peer review - Republic of letters
Projects/Activities	- Teaching Stick Shift - Short hand	- King Benjamin Speech	- Rosetta Stone	- Bibliography - KJV Exhibit - Final Paper

Learning

1. HISTORY
   Students can characterize historical periods from antiquity through the Renaissance and identify and discuss representative texts, cultures, events, and figures.
2. KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTIONS
   Students can describe and analyze the characteristics and differences among knowledge institutions and media.
3. COMMUNICATING KNOWLEDGE
   Students recognize differences in the forms through which knowledge is preserved, communicated, and experienced and can interpret the consequences of these differences historically and personally.
4. KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
   Students become aware of and take responsibility for their knowledge skills and develop new learning strategies, including collaboration.
5. SHARING KNOWLEDGE
   Students can represent and share their knowledge of the history of civilization through formal and informal writing, oral communication, and teaching others.

Thanks for the great semester everyone. It has been great getting to share knowledge with all of you and to learn with each other. Thanks again.

Final Exam part 1: Notes!!!

 Unit 1: Folk Knowledge

• The types of folk knowledge we discussed all brought people closer together. We discovered this especially through the teaching/learning assignment. As someone shared a little bit of themselves-their knowledge-the participants grew closer.
• There was a set way to do many things, probably based off of the emphasis on the sophic instead of the mantic viewpoint. 
• Many folk traditions helped explain the unknown.
• Because of the lack of writing things down, folk knowledge changed drastically with new technologies as older knowledge was valued less, and some was lost entirely. 
• Folk knowledge was a very present day oriented knowledge. Why worry about the future when you are struggling to survive?
• Now that we don't need many things that were used for survival when folk knowledge was the only form of knowledge, we are bringing them back for recreational purposes-as hobbies.

Unit 2: Oral Knowledge

• The group I researched, the Kalahari Bushmen, have always used folk and oral knowledge.
• More personal connection through oral knowledge-forced to communicate well in person.
• Still a big emphasis on religion with folk knowledge as seen in Bushmen culture.
• Examples of eloquence in the Bushmen culture used a lot of repetition and simple language.
• Is eloquence or simplicity more important in getting across the message of a story?
• In our group, possibility discussed of oral knowledge giving rulers too much power. Eloquence helped many get into power and get their way. More believable when only oral knowledge.
• Emotion/feeling lost when the transition is made from oral to written knowledge. Ex. sarcasm.
• Interview: when I only listened, I was able to remember the basic, important topics. Might not have remembered these if I was focused on notes. When I listened to recording and took notes, I picked up details more.
• King Benjamin's Speech: Repetition helped me remember better my part. Saying the speech out loud instead of reading it helped me connect with it more. Stronger feeling-could imagine how it would be to be there.

Unit 3: Written Knowledge

• Reading special collections book on written knowledge
• Shift to written knowledge slower than the development of a written language.
• I learned that language goes from spoken to simple pictures to ideographs and finally to the representation of sound through symbols. So, then, art and pictures can be seen as a form of writing.
• Written knowledge allows for a better preservation of knowledge.
• Hardships of learning to write: complexity of the language, social status (wealth and gender)
• Can penmanship connect with class standing?
• Is writing notes better than listening, both in church and in other instances?
• Shifts in forms of knowledge were opposed (change is scary). Drawbacks to the shift from oral to written knowledge? Ex. talks in church.
• Phonetic writing?
• Calligraphy project: learned that learning a new language is difficult and hugely frustrating.
• Rosetta stone: finding loopholes in a language, having different words for the same concept: ex. = a god. 
• Aesthetics and writing.

Unit 4: Print Knowledge

• Field Trip: fight over the control of print, print was a very powerful tool for convincing others. Those who rebelled might not be able to print: ex. Wycliffe's New Testament. Print allowed to reform religion.
• Bibliography: transition to only internet-accessible knowledge. Library had wide expanse of printed works.
• Paper: plagiarism not always bad. Print knowledge very effective-I can type faster than write and was able to print the paper in five seconds.
• I researched music print: staff was printed first, then notes were either added later by hand or by a second print. 
• Separate typeface for music and other languages. 
• Different methods for printing in different countries: in Asia, ceramic materials were used and there were multiple types for each character.
• Everyone seems to have used woodblock technology first.
• Printing was only quicker than writing if multiple copies were made.

Notes for final Salon

No t e s :

I don't know how to make a table in blogger, and while I'm sure I could learn from someone, I don't see an option for it here. Therefore I'm officially plagiarizing Dr. Burton's table design.

:)

Hopefully this is a good method for arranging the notes.

Here's what I think is the most telling source for each section:

(Under self-directed learning, I'm mostly going to just relate it to posts I've made about what I learned. Anything with a link is to a post we've done, mainly for my own benefit later when discussing them, but feel free to explore the connections).

	Unit 1: Folk Knowledge	Unit 2: Oral Knowledge	Unit 3: Written Knowledge	Unit 4: Print Knowledge
Self-directed learning	Dragons, Light	President Packer's Talk	Proto-Sinaitic	Typography
Others' blogging	Andrew's:Rites of Passage	Marc's: Concrete - Scott's: Universitas	Scott's: Confucious	Alicia's:Changes printing caused
Collaborative learning	Learning Japanese from Andrew(1)*	Classroom discussions, first exam	Learning Japanese from Andrew(2)* Posts on the Book of Mormon(1)(2)	In-class peer review of our final paper^
Projects / Activities	Teaching (Photography)	King Benjamin Speech	Rosetta stone (My group's posts: Jenna's, Mine, Brenda's, Tanner's)	Royal Skousen & KJV Exhibit

* I contend that this relates to both sections.

^ I really learned a lot from reading Alyssa's paper, and she helped me refine my own to a much better degree with her comments. I feel like this was more of a joint learning activity than strictly an exercise in editing.

The self-directed learning posts that I made are those that I feel I learned the most from, and that gave me a larger perspective on that section of the curriculum. Basically, my choices in each section worked that way: I picked the things that I remembered expanding my view and my knowledge the most.

So the question I have to ask now is, How do these all relate?

The most interesting thing that I found was how we were using different types of knowledge to learn about different types of knowledge, and how, by learning about them, it is easier to see large scale historical patterns in how things have changed over time.

Here's some interesting ideas I had about what I might discuss on Tuesday:

*By learning the pros and cons of each type of knowledge and knowledge institution, we are able to more fully recognize possible causes and effects with relation to the state of society.

*All societies have had similar developmental patterns over time with relation to these knowledge types, and those that got them first integrated them more slowly than those which followed. Printing in England, Internet in Asia, TV in USSR.

*Each new form of knowledge at first tries almost exclusively to imitate the one before it.

An y w a y, those are my thoughts so far on possible patterns in our study. I'd love any input you guys have!

Unit Paper Part 3: the Paper

I figured it would be nice to post the actual paper that resulted from my brainstorming and modification of my original thesis.

Thesis Statement on "Censorship"

Hey Guys sorry for the late post, I originally posted my outline and thesis statement yesterday, but for some reason it did not load on to our blog. So here is my second attempt, I will just give you guys my brief outline and thesis/intro and will give a more elaborate draft on my paper on my blog posting day when it is due! But for now here are my basic outline thoughts:

Thesis: While many believe censorship to be a necessity in certain contexts, the concept of censorship is intrinsically at fault in its attempt to control and thus halt the advance of knowledge, as seen evident in the censorship of Enlightenment thinkers after the creation of the printing press in sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Outline: 1. Introduce censorship methods in antiquity
2. Discuss invention of printing press and its implications of censorship
3. Discuss enlightenment thinkers and how censorship limited their transmitting of knowledge
4. Discuss origin of censorship (laws, etc)
5. Refute opposition
6. Conclude
and here is my first draft intro paragraph:
The concept of censorship in its true essence is control. Censorship is created as a direct result of an authority that has a set system of beliefs or morals, weighing knowledge and information with that moral system. These authorities have historically been organized religions, governments, and leaders of civilizations. If these authorities believe a certain work of knowledge to be contradictory to their set principles or laws then they use censorship as a way to control that knowledge so as to avoid corruption and dissent. In antiquity, the form of censorship was usually simple: arrest, destroy, silence, kill, or threaten the voice that is acting against the established belief system. But a man named Johannes Gutenberg unknowingly created a paradigm shift in the history of censorship with the invention of the printing press. The ability to spread knowledge through the form of text and print suddenly was available to the public. This new process of communicating knowledge so seamlessly posed new and much more complex issues to authorities in the control of knowledge that was contrary to their systems of belief. While the censorship of certain controversial works and texts are considered a necessity, the censorship of such works is still a halt to the free communication of knowledge, the consequences of this limitation of knowledge has historically been negative and proves the intrinsic fault in the method of censorship.

Brainstorming my paper - an Odyssey

I decided to basically post my thought process as I'm brainstorming for my paper that's due (By the time you read this) today. I'm going to go through how I come up with ideas, and hopefully it'll stay coherent and not turn into a stream-of-consciousness kind of thing (though that might be fun to write sometime).

So, as you might remember, though if you don't I absolutely do not blame you, cause I personally don't remember half of y'all's topics, my topic is typography, which I defined in this post in case you want a short refresher course :)

Anyway: my contention for my paper will be that typography, at least the types that are used in professional endeavors, have gradually become more functional and less decorative. I think this is a pretty universal change.

In fact, "The Book," which I also mentioned in my bibliography post, contends that this change began long ago: With (funnily enough) the Egyptians! Turns out this actually connects to my culture assignment from earlier in the semester.

Anyway, I looked at the Better Thesis Statements website, and it told me (Well... not in audible words. I learned from it, I mean) that my thesis is a "definition claim", which means that I'm just trying to prove the reality of something. In my case, the change. So, to support it, I just need to show evidence of the change, not argue that it was good or bad.

So, I guess that's about all I have in the way of brainstorming right now! Thanks for bearing with me through this post, and please comment with any suggestions you have for format, etc.

PS: There's a double meaning in the word types that is starting to confuse me as I work on this paper

Just as a rambling linguistic side note, I believe that we say there are different "types" of things because there were originally different "types" in printing. Cool, huh?

Unit Paper Part 2: Thesis

Thanks, Jenna and Scott, for your input on my brainstorming. Here's a draft of my thesis.

Although adult and children's literature shares the codex book format, children's picture books are a unique form of communicating knowledge because their layout and purpose is distinct from other books.

Unit Paper!

Okay guys, so here is my very rough draft of my paper. As such, feel free to rip it to shreds, I won't be offended. Plus it will help out my paper a lot!!! Drum roll, please...

Unit Final: Print and Medicine

Like Alicia, I too am doing some thinking out loud and documenting my paper as I go. I am still in the brainstorming stage of the project. I actually wanted to run a question by all of you to get your input. For me, at first take, it seems like there are two options for the paper: either we argue for or against the effect that print had on our respective areas. I don't think it is limited to that though. What are some ideas that you all had? Reading Alicia's post helped me to get a grasp on some different ideas that I could look at.

I area of research is medicine. As I wrote about in my last post, print had a wonderfully positive on the world of medicine in terms of unification and development. However, in our group discussion on Thursday, the comment came up about what if a faulty procedure was published, thus resulting in the deaths of many people. That would definitely not be good! Thinking about that then it seems probable that the development of print also gave way to editing groups composed of experts who would allow something to be published or not. Those are just some preliminary thoughts.

My Dad is a researcher and surgeon so I sent him an email and asked him these three questions:

1, How has the ability to print and publish research findings had an impact on your career? What does it mean to you to be able to do that?

2. How does it affect the medical world as a whole to be able to publish and share research?

3. How would the medical field be different without the ability to publish and circulate your findings?

So, that is my progress so far!

Unit Paper Part 1: Brainstorming

I have to say, I'm pretty surprised that I am writing a paper about children's reading (and still trying to figure out exactly what that will mean), but I think it is potentially a very fun topic.

I decided I'll go ahead and document my writing process on the blog, so the following are all the ideas - good or bad - that come to mind.

Movable Type Printing from... Asia?!

There is a common misconception that in 1450 Johannes Gutenberg created the first movable type with his invention of the printing press. The reason this statement is false is that like with many other western inventions, the Chinese figured it out way before we thought of it! The Chinese began using the movable type system for printing around 1040 AD. A man by the name of Bi Sheng created this system during the Song Dynasty. This movable type system replaced what was called woodblock printing.


With woodblock printing, one printing plate could be used for thousands of books, this played a signifcant role in spreading culture in China. But carving the plate was very time consuming and required much labour. Larger books required many years of work and effort. The plates needed a lot of room for storage space, and were often damaged by deformation, worms, and corrosion. If books had a small print run, and were not reprinted, the printing plates would become nothing but waste and if a mistake was found, no matter how minor, it was difficult to correct it without discarding the whole plate. These difficulties led to the popularity of the new invention of the movable type printing process.


The first form of movable type was created using ceramic materials.This system created by Bi Sheng was much more efficient than woodblock printing. The process was described by the Chinese scholar Shen Kuo:
"When he wished to print, he took an iron frame and set it on the iron plate. In this he placed the types, set close together. When the frame was full, the whole made one solid block of type. He then placed it near the fire to warm it. When the paste [at the back] was slightly melted, he took a smooth board and pressed it over the surface, so that the block of type became as even as a whetstone.
For each character there were several types, and for certain common characters there were twenty or more types each, in order to be prepared for the repetition of characters on the same page. When the characters were not in use he had them arranged with paper labels, one label for each rhyme-group, and kept them in wooden cases.
If one were to print only two or three copies, this method would be neither simple nor easy. But for printing hundreds or thousands of copies, it was marvelously quick. As a rule he kept two forms going. While the impression was being made from the one form, the type was being put in place on the other. When the printing of the one form was finished, the other was then ready. In this way the two forms alternated and the printing was done with great rapidity"


The ceramic movable type was then replaced by wood and eventually metal. Although the first metal movable type was created in 1234 during the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea and is credited to Choe Yun-ui, the credit goes to Gutenberg for the invention of the metal movable type printing press. He was able to master the printing press using metals such as alloy of lead, tin and antimony for his plates which were much more efficient than the iron used in Asia. Those same components are actually still used today in the printing press! So now you know that many Asian inventors experimented with different forms of movable type printing systems, but the reason we only hear about Gutenberg is that his mastery of the movable types had the greatest impact on the way we learn and transmit knowledge.