The author of "Mengxi Bitan" is Shen Kuo, a scientist and politician of the Northern Song Dynasty.

"Mengxi Bitan" is an ancient Chinese comprehensive note-style work written by Shen Kuo between approximately 1086 and 1093. This book not only covers natural science and technology, but also includes observations and analyses of social and historical phenomena. It is divided into 30 volumes, including 26 volumes of "Bitan", 3 volumes of "Bu Bitan", and 1 volume of "Xu Bitan". The content is very rich, covering various disciplines such as astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and is a summary of scientific achievements during the Northern Song Dynasty.

In terms of social history, "Mengxi Bitan" exposes the corruption of the Northern Song ruling clique, while also detailing military interests in the northwest and north, the evolution of etiquette systems, and the drawbacks of the old tax and corvée systems. In addition, the book contains 609 notes, more than one-third of which are devoted to recording and elucidating natural science knowledge, which is quite rare in note-style writings.

"Mengxi Bitan" is not only an encyclopedic work, but also famous for its scientific and technological value. It is also considered one of the most important documents in the study of Chinese science history, providing important historical materials for studying the etiquette systems, tax and corvée systems, military systems, and other aspects of the Northern Song Dynasty. Shen Kuo's work is still widely studied by scholars today due to its extensive knowledge coverage and profound academic insights.

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