How China can make it to the next age
The discoveries that emerged during the Age of Exploration finally put to rest the idea that all wisdom came from the "ancients". The realization that knowledge could be found elsewhere or even created - and therefore that progress could be continuous - marked the beginning of modern times.
Francis Bacon, the Western philosopher credited with establishing the inductive method of scientific inquiry, was among the first to recognize this shift. In Bacon's opinion the three greatest inventions were the magnetic compass, printing and gunpowder.
Interestingly, each of these came from the East. Why it was the West that seemingly took them, developed and refined them and used them to dominate the rest of the world remains a matter of debate. The Western alphabet may have been more suitable for printing, but why did Western navigators armed with guns and guided by the compass needle succeed so much more dramatically than their Eastern counterparts?
