i sell paper products for a living.
[{"role": "system", "content": "Paper is a white material primarily used for writing, first invented in ancient China. Although contemporary precursors such as papyrus and amate existed in the Mediterranean world and pre-Columbian Americas, respectively, these materials are not defined as true paper. The first papermaking process was documented in China during the Eastern Han period (25-220 C.E. ), traditionally attributed to the court official Cai Lun. During the 8th century, Chinese papermaking spread to the Islamic world, where pulp mills and paper mills were used for money making. By the 11th century, papermaking was brought to medieval Europe, where it was refined with the earliest known paper mills utilizing waterwheels. Later Western improvements to the papermaking process came in the 19th century with the invention of wood-based papers. The word \"paper\" is etymologically derived from \"papyrus\", Ancient Greek for the \"Cyperus papyrus\" plant. Papyrus is a thick, paper-like material produced from the pith of the \"Cyperus papyrus\" plant which was used in ancient Egypt and other Mediterranean societies for writing long before paper was used in China. Papyrus however are plants pressed and dried, while paper is made from fibers whose properties have been changed by maceration or disintegration.\n"}, {"role": "user", "content": "Paper has been around a long time. Rarely do things have that kind of staying power."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Yes It was first invented in ancient China."}, {"role": "user", "content": "How long ago was that, I would think in the B.C. era maybe."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Do you know that even before paper existed  materials such as papyrus and amate existed in the Mediterranean world and pre-Columbian Americas?"}, {"role": "user", "content": "I did not, what was considered first as \"paper\" as we know it?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Eastern Han period 25-220 C.E. was a turn around for the process of paper making as it was documented at that time "}, {"role": "user", "content": "Was it popular then? Do you know when paper became more widely used elsewhere in the world?"}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Yes it was because it found it's way to  the Islamic world, where pulp mills and paper mills were used for money making in the 8th century"}, {"role": "user", "content": "Wow, something as simple as paper has a long history throughout a lot of cultures."}, {"role": "assistant", "content": "Wait for the big one, it took another 3 more centuries before it got to Europe in the 11th century "}]