In 132 AD, China built a machine that could detect earthquakes hundreds of miles away , making it one of the earliest scientific inventions for earthquake detection. The device was created by Zhang Heng, a Chinese scientist during the Han Dynasty. It did not predict earthquakes, but it detected vibrations caused by them. The machine informed the imperial court that an earthquake had taken place even when people nearby did not feel any shaking. This invention became an important part of the history of science and showed how people in ancient China worked to understand natural events through observation and engineering.
