Stuff You Should Know Printing press? Big deal!
Oct 8, 2020
Discover the monumental impact of the printing press and Johann Gutenberg's struggles to innovate. Explore how cultural factors limited its adoption in Asia, contrasting it with Europe's explosive growth of printed material. Dive into the groundbreaking techniques of movable type and the labor-intensive methods of early printing. Enjoy playful banter blending math and history, along with thoughtful insights on how the printing revolution transformed communication and society as a whole.
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House Stamp Anecdote
- Chuck and Josh discuss woodcuts, block books, and early stamps.
- Chuck shares a personal story about a house stamp his wife Emily made.
Early Chinese Printing
- Europeans thought they invented block books in the 1400s.
- However, the Chinese had already been using similar printing methods for centuries.
The Diamond Sutra
- The Diamond Sutra, printed in 868 CE, is the first known printed book.
- Each page was carved in negative on a woodblock, a laborious process.