Ancient Chinese Invented Gunpowder

Few substances in history have had as profound an effect on human history as gunpowder, yet its discovery in China was an accident. Contrary to myth, it was not simply used for fireworks but was put to military uses from its time of discovery. Eventually, this secret weapon leaked out to the rest of the medieval world. Chinese Alchemists Tinker With Saltpeter and Make Gunpowder Ancient alchemists in China spent centuries trying to discover an elixir of life that would render the user immortal. One important ingredient in many of the failed elixirs was saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate. During the Tang Dynasty, around 850 A.D., an enterprising alchemist (whose name has been lost to history) mixed 75 parts saltpeter with 15 parts charcoal and 10 parts sulfur. This mixture had no discernable life-lengthening properties, but it did explode with a flash and a bang when exposed to an open flame. According to a text from that era, smoke and flames result, so that [the alchemists] hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down. Use of Gunpowder in China Many western history books over the years have stated that the Chinese used this discovery only for fireworks, but that is not true. Song Dynasty military forces as early as 904 A.D. used gunpowder devices against their primary enemy, the Mongols. These weapons included flying fire (fei huo), an arrow with a burning tube of gunpowder attached to the shaft. Flying fire arrows were miniature rockets, which propelled themselves into enemy ranks and inspired terror among both men and horses. It must have seemed like fearsome magic to the first warriors who were confronted with the power of gunpowder. Other Song military applications of gunpowder included primitive hand grenades, poisonous gas shells, flamethrowers and landmines. The first artillery pieces were rocket tubes made from hollow bamboo shoots, but these were soon upgraded to cast metal. McGill University professor Robin Yates notes that the worlds first illustration of a cannon comes from Song China, in a painting from about 1127 A.D. This depiction was made a century and a half before Europeans began to manufacture artillery pieces. The Secret of Gunpowder Leaks Out of China By the mid- to late-eleventh century, the Song government had become concerned about gunpowder technology spreading to other countries. The sale of saltpeter to foreigners was banned in 1076. Nonetheless, knowledge of the miraculous substance was carried along the Silk Road to India, the Middle East, and Europe. In 1267, a European writer made reference to gunpowder, and by 1280 the first recipes for the explosive mixture were published in the west. Chinas secret was out. Down through the centuries, Chinese inventions have had a profound effect on human culture. Items like paper, the magnetic compass, and silk have diffused around the world. None of those inventions, however, have had quite the impact that gunpowder has, for good and for bad.

Essay on Arguments For and Against a Smoking Ban - 1426 Words

Tobacco is one of the most widely-used recreational drugs in the world; mainly in the form of cigarettes, but also in cigars and pipes, and in combination with cannabis and marijuana in joints. Although most countries put age restrictions on its use, over a billion adults smoke tobacco legally every day, and supplying this demand is big business. As well as having serious health consequences for smokers themselves, the pollution of other peoples atmospheres with cigarette smoke also makes this an environmental issue. Attitudes have changed rapidly over the past twenty years. In the developed world, public opinion has shifted against smoking. By the 1990s, the sheer weight of evidence had forced†¦show more content†¦The law steps in to prevent citizens causing harm to others, whether deliberately or accidentally. However, it should not stop them taking risks themselves - for example, dangerous sports such as rock-climbing, parachuting or motor-racing are legal. It is also leg al to indulge in other health-threatening activities such as eating lots of fatty foods, taking no exercise, and drinking too much alcohol. Banning smoking would be an unmerited intrusion into personal freedom. 2) Cigarettes are very different from dangerous cars or poisonous foods. As the proposition points out, cigarettes are not dangerous because they are defective; rather they are inherently, potentially, harmful. But people should still be allowed to choose to buy and smoke them. A better comparison is to unhealthy foods. High cholesterol or a high intake of fat can be extremely harmful, leading to heart disease, obesity, and other conditions; but manufacturers of these products are not punished. Consumers simply like the taste of fatty food. People should be allow to smoke cigarettes and to eat fatty foods - both these things are sources of pleasure which, while having serious associated health risks, are only fatal after many decades, unlike a poisonous food or an unsafe car, which pose immediate and high risks. 3) A comparison to hard drugs is inaccurate - tobacco is not debilitating in the same way that manyShow MoreRelatedBanning Of The Law Of India1326 Words   |  6 Pagesorganisational management, we will examine one such decision made by the Government of India in 2001. The decision was whether to approve a bill that would place a ban on all tobacco advertising, including the sponsorship of sports and cultural events (Ban on tobacco ads by the government of India, 2001). After looking at the arguments of the bill’s supporter and its objectors, we will analyse each perspective and make an ethical decision based on this analysis. 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With evidence of the dangers of second-hand smoking having achieved a state of being incontrovertible, lawmakers, lobby groups and public health advocacy groups have taken steps to diminish the exposure to second-hand smoke experienced by individuals on the whole. While the benefits of a smoking ban in bars, restaurants, clubs and other suchRead MoreThe Ban On Tobacco Advertisements977 Words   |  4 Pagestask when it comes to issues which need ethical and commercial considerations. The ban on tobacco advertisements in India is no exception as India is a country which preserves its ethics but at the same time wants to develop. Those in favour of the ban supported it as follows; As to discourage adolescents from taking up smoking; since the advertising agents put up slick and colorful adverts which make smoking to be deemed as cool by the youths, so the government and some human rights watch dogs

Australian Beverages free essay sample

ABL was listing on the Australian Stock Exchange (AXS) on 1996. The current managing director of the company is Tom Dwyer, who has been with the company since 2008. 2. Identify the industry, product segments and value chain. The industry is the Australian non-alcoholic beverages industry. In this case study, it is focused on the Australian bottled water manufacturing industry. Product segments :- Carbonated soft drinks (CSD), bottled water, milk drinks, fruit drinks, sport drinks, ready to drink tea/coffee, energy drinks. Value chain :- Raw material (water supplies,labels, other packaging materials such as glass and plastic resin bottles)-gt;raw material processing-gt;product design-gt;manufacturing-gt;logistics and distribution-gt; marketing-gt;merchandising and retailing-gt; sales to end consumer 3. Life cycle of the industry? Non-alcoholic beverages industry is in mature stage. The industry tends to focus more on introducing different products (milk drink, sports drink, ready to drink coffee/tea and energy drink) other than  carbonated soft drinks that experiencing declining consumption, which shows in Table 1 the total CSDs market share had been declining since 2001 (62. We will write a custom essay sample on Australian Beverages or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 80%) to 2011 (51%). The Australian bottled water manufacturing industry is currently in the growth stage. As shown in Table 1, the market share for bottled water is expected to increase from 13. 3% (year 2011) to 17. 4% (year 2016). As compared to similar markets, Australian market has potential for a higher ate of consumption and sales growth before it reaches maturity. A recent report by the Global Earth Policy Institute concluded that global consumption of bottled water rose 56. 8% to 164 billion litres from 2007 to 2011. 4. What are the key issues or trends affecting the future growth of the industry? Factor| Issue| Impact on industry growth (+/-/=)| Technology| -Smart card technology for payment and this can avoid the need for cash-Improvements in filter technology| PositiveNegative| Overall impact of technology factors| Positive| Economy| -Exports and imports represent about 5% of industry production. The levels are not expected to change in the future due to the high cost of transporting the heavy weight and bulk of water. | Neutral| Overall impact of economy factors| Positive | Market| -Comparing to the top 10 global bottled water consuming countries, Australia consumption for bottled water is significantly lower. Australia market has potential for a higher rate of consumption and sales growth before it reaches maturity. Restriction of competition will affect future industry consolidation (Negative: Might caused monopoly impact by the four largest competitors)Continuing growth populationContinued growth in per capita consumption| PositiveNegativePositive| Overall impact of market factors| | Legal| -Government banned on all full-calorie CSDs in government-owned primary and secondary schools. Penalties will be imposed for those schools that failed to comply.

What Would You Do If You Won the Lottery free essay sample

What would you do if you won $500,000? If you won $500,000 in the lottery, what would you spend it on? There are a lot of different ways that people would choose to spend this money. Some people would choose to spend it on themselves, others would choose to give it all away to charity. The way I would spend it would be a mixture of the two. (67) First, I would take $250,000 and put it in the bank. If it is in the bank for a while, it will draw around four to five thousand dollars in interest a year. So after about ten years, it will grow to around $300,000. That way, I will never have to worry about not having money or struggling from paycheck to paycheck. (72) After I put half of it in the bank, I would give $50,000 to a charity. I believe that if I was given the opportunity to have a big sum of money given to me, I would love to give some of that away to people that truly need it. We will write a custom essay sample on What Would You Do If You Won the Lottery or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There are millions of needy people that have no money, no house to live in, and no food to eat. By giving them some extra money, they will be able to afford the things that other people take for granted. It would make me feel like a better person if I gave my money away to people that truly need some help. (112) I would take $100,000 and give it to my parents. They deserve the money since they always provided me with things I wanted, even if that meant they had to go without. If I gave them that money, they would not have to worry about struggling to pay bills or not having money to buy food. My parents are very generous people. When I would have friends over, my mom would give her food away so that my friends can have something to eat. She was always giving and never asked for anything in return. (95) With the remaining $100,000, I would go crazy with it. I would go buy a new car, buy some stock in a big company, and just buy whatever I feel like buying. After all, I did win the money and its my money to spend how I want to spend it. I should be able to choose to spend it on whatever I spend it on, whether its morally right or not. (82) Coming to my conclusion, most of my money would be given to other people. If I was lucky enough to win a large sum of money, I believe that I should give it back to other people in return. Karma would help me out down the road by giving me better opportunities in life. So, that’s pretty much the way I plan on spending all of my money. (75) Total Word Count: 501