China Was 700 Years Ahead — So How Did Britain Beat It to the Industrial Revolution?

In 1078, China was producing more iron than Britain would for the next 700 years. It had printing, gunpowder, the compass, paper money, and the biggest cities on Earth. So why did the Industrial Revolution start in Britain instead? This is the Needham Question — and the answer involves coal, wages, ghost acres, and coffeehouses. 📜 In this video: Joseph Needham's famous question, Song Dynasty China's lost lead, the steam engine's real origin, and why Britain industrialized first. #needhamquestion #history #industrialrevolution #china #documentary