QI – S07E04 – The Chinese, the teacup and glass.
The invention of the teacup changed the course of Chinese history, because it was invented so early. The thing is that the Chinese never drank wine and people in the West liked to drink it in glass. The invention of glass meant that we also had the technology of lens grinding, telescopes and microscopes. The invention of spectacles meant that intellectuals and scientists had an extra 15-20 years of a reading and active life. Also came the invention of beakers, flasks and retorts, which was useful because glass is chemically neutral. Between the 14th century and the 19th century, no glass was made in China. It also meant that they had no mirrors and their windows were made out of paper, which meant they had dark houses. So, the point is that since they liked drinking tea from the teacup, they never bothered to try to invent glass.
Any sources anybody?
Good wee bit of history, but absolutely hilarious!
@ Rapidshare EyesCream yea polished metal in general Depending on the era, but there were definitely mirrors
They had actually wear chrono @ bronze mirrors.
@ Chrono wear YOURE LOOKING FOR THE WORD MOOT
Indeed a brass mirror would’ve sucked compared to a glass mirror, but it’s a mirror nonetheless And therefore renders dear Stephen’s statement null and void: D
Yeah but that would have been rubbish comapred to a glass mirror.
Eh, the ‘no mirrors’ part is not exactly true. Plates of polished brass mirrors were used as back then.