宋朝是中国历史上的一个重要王朝，在中国科技史上的重要地位尤其引人瞩目。选取北宋咸平四年至宣和二年(1001—1120年)之间的120年历史作为研究对象，以《中国人名大辞典》为主要资料来源，对活跃于这一时期的社会精英群体进行计量研究，以分析其精英阶层科技兴趣的变化情况。研究发现，北宋精英阶层对科技的关注自11世纪20年代(约宋仁宗天圣年间)以后就一直在持续下降。并尝试对可能造成这一现象的原因进行了讨论。

Abstract: The Song Dynasty (10th to 13th century) was an important period for the development of science and technology in China. This paper investigates shifts in interest in science and technology in the Song Dynasty between the years 1001 to 1120 using statistics from the Dictionary of Chinese Names. According these statistics, interest in science and technology declined after the 1040s. This was just the time when the famous Chinese philosophical school Songxue arose. The author analyses how and why this decline in interest occurred in the Song Dynasty. Furthermore, social and academic trends during the period, in particular Songxue, are discussed in order to examine their relationships to these shifts.