Xu Guangqi 徐光啓(1562-1633) seems to have asserted his famous slogan―“Melt the materials of that side, and incorporate them into the mould of Datong”(Rong bifang zhi caizhi, ru Datong zhi xingmo 鎔彼方之材質, 入大統之型模)―mainly to justify his accommodation of Western astronomical methods and knowledge to the Chongzhen 崇禎 calendar reform. Many later Confucian scholars quoted, modified, and commented on it, while coping with the problem of introducing Western astronomical knowledge and methods into the Chinese calendrical system. In this paper, I will look at the different ways they dealt with the slogan, which will illustrate the different attitudes they had towards various Western astronomical knowledge and methods, and their different views about the proper way to accommodate them in what they considered the “correct” calendrical method.

We collect meteorite records from Korean chronicles. The accounts began with a bright streak of light described as a falling star, followed by a thunderous noise. During the Three Kingdoms period (first century B.C. to 10th century A.D.), there are reports of fireballs but not of meteorite recovery. During the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392), we have six cases of meteorite recovery. There are ten records from the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). We provide the geographical distribution of historical meteorite falls. In particular, the bulk density of the meteorite of 1672 is estimated to be ~4 g cm-3, corresponding to EH/EL enstatites, and that of A.D. 1689 has a bulk density of ~5 g cm-3, corresponding to stony-iron meteorites. The whereabouts of three of six meteorites from modern times are known. Only two meteorites of 1938 and 1999 among 17 meteorites are finds.

This paper is an attempt at examining the structure of the jet engine from a micrometeorological perspective, in order to further develop the emerging methodology of “machine critique.” As an outsider of science and engineering, a social scientist can probe into the deeper layers of complex machines, which will lead to fresh perspectives. This paper will merge the two seemingly unrelated subjects, micrometeorology and jet engines, which will provide new insights for scientists and engineers to further their horizons. Ultimately, this paper interprets the jet aircraft as a micrometeorological phenomenon. This will allow us to perceive the air-breathing engine as the interface between humans and their surrounding environment.