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The Middle Ages and the Silk Road（Illuminated manuscript）

AccelerationFour-dimensional view1,527 years ago

500

The Middle Ages and the Silk Road

The Silk Road links Europe and Asia, and technologies such as paper, gunpowder, the compass and movable type spread between civilizations.

Art style · Illuminated manuscript

Origin of Life on EarthDinosaurs and MammalsAI Agents
Arrow keys step through pictures · Wheel to zoom · Drag or click to select time

Civilization metrics

Each sparkline shows the documented history of a metric on a logarithmic time axis. The dot marks the selected moment.

Kardashev index

0.486

Based on primary energy power · Type I = 1

World population

253Mpeople

1/33 of today

Total human primary energy power

7.2×10¹⁰W

1/282 of today

Compute per dollar

—

No reliable data yet · data begins 1945

Fastest delivery time for a message from London to New York

—

No reliable data yet · data begins 1620

Fastest speed reached by humans

60km/h

1/670 of today

Near this moment

The eight closest milestones. Select a title to jump there.

  1. 300 BCECulture

    Euclid derived theorems from axioms, setting the model for deductive reasoning. Source

  2. 250 BCEEnergy

    Water-driven wheels appear in the writings of the Greek engineer Philo, around the 3rd century BC. Source

  3. 150 BCEComputing

    A geared device from the 2nd century BC that predicted celestial events; it is the oldest known analog computer. Source

  4. 105Culture

    In the Eastern Han, Cai Lun improved papermaking using tree bark, hemp scraps and rags, making writing material cheap. Source

  5. 628Computing

    The Indian mathematician Brahmagupta set out rules for arithmetic involving zero. Source

  6. 850Energy

    Around the 9th century, horizontal windmills appeared in Persia, used to grind grain and lift water. Source

  7. 904Energy

    Invented by Chinese Taoist alchemists, gunpowder was first used in warfare around 904. Source

  8. 1040Culture

    Around 1040, Bi Sheng of the Northern Song invented movable type made of baked clay. Source

Capabilities

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Recently acquired

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Scenes across eras

Each era illustrated in its own style.

Every timeline entry cites its source. Metrics interpolate logarithmically between sourced data points. Forecasts include institutional and community views, and attributed site scenarios; years are not guaranteed realization dates. Illustrations are AI-generated in each era's style.