Needham, Joseph (1900-1995)

English biochemist and sinologist, historian of Chinese science. He worked first on problems in embryology. In the 1930s he learned Chinese and began to collect material. The first volume of his Science and Civilization in China was published 1954 and by 1990 sixteen volumes had appeared. Needham was born in London and studied at Cambridge, where he spent his academic career. The arrival of some Chinese biochemists 1936 prompted him to learn their language, and in 1942-46 he travelled through China as head of the British Scientific Mission. From 1946 to 1948 he was head of the Division of Natural Sciences at the United Nations, after which he returned to Cambridge. In Chemical Embryology 1931, Needham concluded that embryonic development is controlled chemically. The discovery of morphogenetic hormones and later of the genetic material DNA confirmed this view. Needham became increasingly interested in the history of science, particularly of Chinese science, and he progressively reduced his biochemical investigations. Science and Civilization in China is a huge synthesis of history, science, and culture in China.