Dear colleagues, I have in mind to create a seminar class (about 15 students) on science/technology in premodern China. I envision this as a research class in which students would pick a topic/invention that they are interested in and write a final paper about the history of that invention in China. Ideally, I'd like students to be able to work with some primary sources (in translation), and would like to avoid a situation in which students are simply forced to summarize Needham or his successors--but I fear this is an unrealistic goal. Has anyone taught a class like this? Does anyone have ideas about translated sources/accessible secondary sources that would work? These would be advanced undergrads, but not necessarily with a lot of background on China. Any suggestion would be much appreciated. And best wishes to all for a Happy New Year! Best, Beverly Beverly Bossler Professor, History Chair, East Asian Languages and Cultures University of California, Davis