Chinese astronomer, mathematician, and high official whose famous work Mengxi bitan (“Brush Talks from Dream Brook” 【Dream Brook was the name of his estate in Jingkou】) contains the first reference to the magnetic compass, the first description of movable type, and a fairly accurate explanation of the origin of fossils (fossil). The Mengxi bitan also contains Shen's observations on such varied subjects as mathematics, astronomy, atmospheric phenomena, cartography, optics, and medicine. Shen produced a number of works, including commentaries on the Confucian Classics, atlases, diplomatic reports, and a variety of monographs. His Mengxi bitan was written relatively late in life, after he had been removed from office on a trumped-up charge and banished after troops under his titular command suffered a severe defeat by Tangut warriors; some 60,000 Chinese perished in the battle. He retired to Dream Brook in 1088 and lived out the remainder of his years there.