Chapter 65 Section 12
The research institute specially provided for Shen Kuo is in the depths of Baishuitan College, beside a stream flowing to Jinming Pool.
The entire research institute has four yards and hundreds of houses. More than a hundred students from the Gewu Academy are doing research with Shen Kuo. One of their current topics is to manufacture a clock with a high degree of precision.
When Shi Yue walked into Shen Kuo's research institute with a conflicted mood, he was really surprised!In the hall, there are all kinds of parts. Some students are carefully measuring with charcoal pencils and rulers. The finished wooden clock, the middle one is almost taller than his own height. Shi Yue estimated that it was more than two meters, and the time-keeping hands have now passed the "Si time" (9 o'clock in the morning). Judging from the time indicated by this clock, it goes around from ugly time to midnight, a full twenty-four hours!In other words, its second hand takes two minutes to complete a circle.
Looking at this clock with typical Chinese characteristics, Shi Yue couldn't help but be a little bit dumbfounded.Although there is nothing wrong with it, as a modern person, seeing a clock with a 24-hour lap always makes people feel weird.
Next to this clock, there are two smaller clocks. For convenience, one of them is marked with numbers from one to twelve on the scale, and the hour is marked on the corresponding wooden frame.
Shi Yue was looking at these clocks, feeling the sound of the second hand's "tapping" accompanied by the beating of his heart, when suddenly he heard someone calling: "Ziming, why are you here?" Shi Yue turned around and saw Shen Kuo Standing behind him, holding a bronze-shaped thing in his hand that looked like a pistol, he was smiling and greeting himself.
"Brother Cunzhong, it seems that you are making good progress." Shi Yue smiled while cupping his fists, but stared at the bronze product curiously.
Shen Kuo saw that he was paying attention to the object in his hand, so he handed it to Shi Yue, and said with a smile: "A blacksmith picked up something from the Changping Ancient Battlefield. I am thinking about what it is for. Ziming can see if he can recognize it. know."
Shi Yue took it, put it in his hand, glanced at it, and couldn't help shouting: "Bronze crossbow!"
Shen Kuo glanced at Shi Yue in surprise. He wanted to test Shi Yue, but unexpectedly, he could recognize it immediately—the Wangshan, the teeth, the hanging knife, the hook heart, and the key are all available on this object, and it is quite complete. Is there any reason why Shen Kuo doesn't know?How did he know that Shi Yue had seen this kind of bronze crossbow in the museum, and he had a deep understanding of its meaning.At this time, Shi Yueqiang suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, pretending to be calm and asked: "Brother Cunzhong, can you copy it? It is also possible to use steel products instead."
Shen Kuo smiled slightly and said, "It's as easy as turning the palm of your hand."
The beauty of the bronze crossbow lies in its ingenious design, not in its complicated craftsmanship. The reason for its disappearance is unknown, but although it was occasionally discovered in later generations, it has not been taken seriously because few people can realize that this kind of thing is important for crossbows. of significance.Of course, another reason is naturally because of the cost!Equipping a bronze crossbow with a crossbow, in the era of handicraft industry, required an astonishing cost - not every government could afford it. After all, for the infantry in the Central Plains, the configuration of the crossbow in the army even exceeded one.
Shi Yue naturally knew these reasons: "Then, if every craftsman's crossbow is required to be exactly the same, and the crossbow on this crossbow can be replaced with another crossbow, brother Cunzhong thinks how difficult it is ?”
Shen Kuo didn't expect Shi Yue to ask such a question, and couldn't help being stunned. After thinking about it, he sighed, "It's as difficult as reaching the sky!"
Shi Yue laughed and said, "I'm here this time to ask Brother Cunzhong to do this extremely difficult thing!" Now he and Shen Kuo went into the inner room and explained in detail the reform of the Military Weapons Supervision.
When Shen Kuo heard the idea of standardization, he couldn't help smiling wryly: "Ziming, this is easier said than done. For example, for this crossbow machine, to make it interchangeable and fit, all parts need to be exactly the same. In this way, we must first It is only possible to reaffirm the standards of weights and measures and determine the accuracy. In order to check and accept, it is even more necessary to have precise measuring tools, otherwise how to test? These are important matters, not related to the affairs of the first military supervision department.” The minimum length generally available at that time The unit is points, tenths are one inch, and ten inches are one foot.When Shen Kuo was manufacturing clocks and watches, he already felt the need for smaller units of measurement—of course, the most perplexing problem was that there were no measurement tools with very small precision.
Shi Yue knew that Shen Kuo's concerns were not unreasonable. After thinking for a while, he said with a smile: "There is no precise measuring tool, and you can find a way to manufacture it. I believe this will not trouble you. As for the implementation of weights and measures across the country, the impact is too great, but you can The Military Weapons Supervision and each workshop first promulgate a "Military Manufacturing Regulations" to stipulate weights and measures, and this will not be a problem. All things will be left to the middle brother to do freely. Famous through the ages."
Shen Kuo thought about it for a while and thought it was feasible, so he nodded in agreement and said with a smile, "What do Ziming think of those clocks?"
Shi Yue smiled and said: "It's wonderful, but there is one shortcoming."
"Appreciate further details."
"Now in the Earthly Branches, there are twelve hours in a day. I think it's a bit rough. It's better to make a subdivision within the twelve hours and divide it into twenty-four hours. Each hour is divided into the beginning and the beginning. Take the ugly time as an example, the ugly time is the beginning of the ugly, and between the ugly and the ugly, there is another ugly and upright time. And the circle of the clock can be changed to six hours, so that the time below the hour can be seen more clearly." For his own convenience, Shi Yue, Start to fake public affairs for personal gain.
Shen Kuo wondered: "Why is this necessary?" For the people of Song Dynasty, it took so much trouble, it was indeed a bit superfluous, unnecessary.
Naturally, Shi Yue had other ideas. He laughed and said, "I just want everyone to cherish the time. Zi said on the river: the dead are like husbands. After Brother Cunzhong invented the clock, people don't have to be in the river to watch the hands of the clock move." , you can feel the passage of time. And the subdivision of time allows people to have a clearer sense of time, a more urgent feeling, and cherish time more.”
Shen Kuo thought for a while, but he didn't feel that subdividing hours and moments would make people cherish time more.However, the finer the division, the more convenient it is for people. Shen Kuo thought of this section, so he smiled and said: "Then change it, anyway, it's not formed now, so let's give students some opportunities. Just take this opportunity, Consider making some precision gauges."
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