Bath-tub Epiphanies
Physics helps us understand how the world around us works, from can-openers, light bulbs and cell phones to muscles, lungs and brains; from paints, piccolos and pirouettes to cameras, cars and cathedrals; from earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes to quarks, DNA and black holes. From the prosaic . . . to the profound . . . to the poetic. . .
Which is why I am going to pen this article about Archimedes.
I know it is a bit random- what with Einstein and Newton, who wants to hear about Archimedes? But I ask of you, bear with me and my meanderings.
Disclaimer: this is a highly informal denouement about Archimedes and must be taken with a pinch of salt.
Archimedes of Syracuse (Yes, there were another Archimedes. It was a popular name at the time) was a formidable Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer and inventor from this small, effervescent town called Sicily in Italy. Not much about this guy is known but he was regarded a genius of his time- In fact, Wikipedia describes him as one of the GOATs (Greatest of all time) of science. His lifetime contributions are opulent, but his primary works were figuring out and proving geometrical theorems, approximation of pi, concept of centre of gravity, Archimedes principle. The list is quite endless (And if you want to see the list it is on Wikipedia. Do pop in and take a look.)
If you still do not understand who he was, here is a hint:
The “Eureka guy”.
That’s right. Archimedes is the person who ran out of his bathtub in the streets of Sicily, burning the eyes of the poor bystanders, in the excitement of having an epiphany about the concept of buoyancy.
An impressive person, though. Let me tell you why.
Archimedes was born as the son of one Mr. Phidias, an astronomer about whom nothing else is known. Archimedes’ biography was written by his friend Heracleids, but this work has been lost, leaving the details of his life obscure. It is unknown, for instance, whether he ever married or had children, or if he ever visited Alexandria, Egypt, during his youth.
The question of how Archimedes died has many theoretical answers. He died during the siege of Syracuse, when he was killed by a Roman soldier despite orders that he should not be harmed. According to the most popular account, Archimedes was contemplating a mathematical diagram when Syracuse was captured. A Roman soldier commanded him to come and meet Marcellus, but he declined, saying that he had to finish working on the problem. This enraged the soldier, who killed Archimedes with his sword.
Absolutely and completely nefarious and barbaric.
The poor guy was completing a homework, man. You could have just chilled out and left him alone.
This reminds me of my mum calling me to eat while I do homework. Of course, I prefer eating over homework at any time of the day, but when you are so close to an answer you sink into oblivion, do you not?
I can relate, Archimedes.
The most widely known anecdote about Archimedes tells of how he invented a method for determining the volume of an object with an irregular shape. A votive crown for a temple had been made for King Hiero II of Syracuse, who had supplied the pure gold to be used; Now, the goldsmith was a fishy guy and decided that chipping off some of that pure, pure gold and replacing it with cheap silver would nicely help upgrade his financial stand. The king smelt something fishy, too, so he asked his trusty adviser and friend Archimedes to figure out whether the dishonest goldsmith had substituted some silver. Archimedes had to solve the problem without damaging the crown, so he could not melt it down into a regularly shaped body in order to calculate its density. It was a very intriguing challenge and Archimedes was so immersed in it that he took the thought to his bath.
When Archimedes got into the full bath, however, he noticed that a lot of water fell out of the bath due to his mass. Instead of thinking about the possible ways to start a diet (like everyone does these days), Archimedes immediately saw the science behind it- the submerged crown would displace an amount of water equal to its own volume. By dividing the mass of the crown by the volume of water displaced, the density of the crown could be obtained. This density would be lower than that of gold if cheaper and less dense metals had been added.
The rest is just history- he runs around the streets stark naked screaming “EUREKA” (which directly translates to “I have found it”) at the top of his lungs.
The test was conducted, and the gold smith was caught red-handed.
(Or should I say, silver handed)
The working principle is that a body immersed in a fluid experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces.
Then there is this thing about the Archimedes Screw.
King Hiero II commissioned the design of a huge ship, “the Syracusia”, which could be used for luxury travel, carrying supplies, and as a display of naval power.
Which is why I am going to pen this article about Archimedes.
I know it is a bit random- what with Einstein and Newton, who wants to hear about Archimedes? But I ask of you, bear with me and my meanderings.
Disclaimer: this is a highly informal denouement about Archimedes and must be taken with a pinch of salt.
Archimedes of Syracuse (Yes, there were another Archimedes. It was a popular name at the time) was a formidable Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer and inventor from this small, effervescent town called Sicily in Italy. Not much about this guy is known but he was regarded a genius of his time- In fact, Wikipedia describes him as one of the GOATs (Greatest of all time) of science. His lifetime contributions are opulent, but his primary works were figuring out and proving geometrical theorems, approximation of pi, concept of centre of gravity, Archimedes principle. The list is quite endless (And if you want to see the list it is on Wikipedia. Do pop in and take a look.)
If you still do not understand who he was, here is a hint:
The “Eureka guy”.
That’s right. Archimedes is the person who ran out of his bathtub in the streets of Sicily, burning the eyes of the poor bystanders, in the excitement of having an epiphany about the concept of buoyancy.
An impressive person, though. Let me tell you why.
Archimedes was born as the son of one Mr. Phidias, an astronomer about whom nothing else is known. Archimedes’ biography was written by his friend Heracleids, but this work has been lost, leaving the details of his life obscure. It is unknown, for instance, whether he ever married or had children, or if he ever visited Alexandria, Egypt, during his youth.
The question of how Archimedes died has many theoretical answers. He died during the siege of Syracuse, when he was killed by a Roman soldier despite orders that he should not be harmed. According to the most popular account, Archimedes was contemplating a mathematical diagram when Syracuse was captured. A Roman soldier commanded him to come and meet Marcellus, but he declined, saying that he had to finish working on the problem. This enraged the soldier, who killed Archimedes with his sword.
Absolutely and completely nefarious and barbaric.
The poor guy was completing a homework, man. You could have just chilled out and left him alone.
This reminds me of my mum calling me to eat while I do homework. Of course, I prefer eating over homework at any time of the day, but when you are so close to an answer you sink into oblivion, do you not?
I can relate, Archimedes.
The most widely known anecdote about Archimedes tells of how he invented a method for determining the volume of an object with an irregular shape. A votive crown for a temple had been made for King Hiero II of Syracuse, who had supplied the pure gold to be used; Now, the goldsmith was a fishy guy and decided that chipping off some of that pure, pure gold and replacing it with cheap silver would nicely help upgrade his financial stand. The king smelt something fishy, too, so he asked his trusty adviser and friend Archimedes to figure out whether the dishonest goldsmith had substituted some silver. Archimedes had to solve the problem without damaging the crown, so he could not melt it down into a regularly shaped body in order to calculate its density. It was a very intriguing challenge and Archimedes was so immersed in it that he took the thought to his bath.
When Archimedes got into the full bath, however, he noticed that a lot of water fell out of the bath due to his mass. Instead of thinking about the possible ways to start a diet (like everyone does these days), Archimedes immediately saw the science behind it- the submerged crown would displace an amount of water equal to its own volume. By dividing the mass of the crown by the volume of water displaced, the density of the crown could be obtained. This density would be lower than that of gold if cheaper and less dense metals had been added.
The rest is just history- he runs around the streets stark naked screaming “EUREKA” (which directly translates to “I have found it”) at the top of his lungs.
The test was conducted, and the gold smith was caught red-handed.
(Or should I say, silver handed)
The working principle is that a body immersed in a fluid experiences a buoyant force equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces.
Then there is this thing about the Archimedes Screw.
King Hiero II commissioned the design of a huge ship, “the Syracusia”, which could be used for luxury travel, carrying supplies, and as a display of naval power.
Basically Titanic. Without Jack. Or Rose. Or the iceberg.
The Syracusia is said to have been the largest ship built in classical antiquity and it was launched by Archimedes. The ship presumably was capable of carrying 600 people and included garden decorations, a gymnasium, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite among its other facilities.
Talk about super cool and cutting-edge.
In order to remove any potential water leaking through the hull (which I understand is the watertight body of a ship, boat, or flying boat) , a device with a revolving screw-shaped blade inside a cylinder was designed by Archimedes. This was the famous Archimedes screw. Archimedes' screw was turned by hand and could also be used to transfer water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation canals. The screw is still in use today for pumping liquids and granulated solids such as coal and grain.
Legend has it that during the war, Archimedes used mirrors to concentrate rays from the sun and set enemy ships on fire. This likely would not have worked, but perhaps it was used to distract or blind enemy ships.
Archimedes' true passion, though, was mathematics. He made many discoveries and today he is considered one of the greatest mathematicians in history. Some of his discoveries were in the field of geometry where he worked with spheres, cylinders, circles, and parabolas. He also calculated the value of pi very accurately using a process called the "method of exhaustion." He even used something called "infinitesimals" to perform math similar to that of modern-day calculus.
My method of exhaustion involves me exhausting my parents with my endless talking so that they would let me watch T.V. just so I would shut up. Works every time.
Legend has it that Archimedes' last words to the Roman soldier who killed him were "Do not disturb my circles" referring to some drawings he had made in the sand.
The dedication.
Commendable, I’d say, sir. Even admirable.
The bottom line is- Archimedes was a pretty cool guy. In the world of modern physics and physicists, we often forget the forebearers of physics, who contributed by tons to what we use in our day-to-day lives. Archimedes, even though a genius, is still blinded under the shadows of modern-day scientists, sadly only known for the one most embarrassing thing that he did.
The Syracusia is said to have been the largest ship built in classical antiquity and it was launched by Archimedes. The ship presumably was capable of carrying 600 people and included garden decorations, a gymnasium, and a temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite among its other facilities.
Talk about super cool and cutting-edge.
In order to remove any potential water leaking through the hull (which I understand is the watertight body of a ship, boat, or flying boat) , a device with a revolving screw-shaped blade inside a cylinder was designed by Archimedes. This was the famous Archimedes screw. Archimedes' screw was turned by hand and could also be used to transfer water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation canals. The screw is still in use today for pumping liquids and granulated solids such as coal and grain.
Legend has it that during the war, Archimedes used mirrors to concentrate rays from the sun and set enemy ships on fire. This likely would not have worked, but perhaps it was used to distract or blind enemy ships.
Archimedes' true passion, though, was mathematics. He made many discoveries and today he is considered one of the greatest mathematicians in history. Some of his discoveries were in the field of geometry where he worked with spheres, cylinders, circles, and parabolas. He also calculated the value of pi very accurately using a process called the "method of exhaustion." He even used something called "infinitesimals" to perform math similar to that of modern-day calculus.
My method of exhaustion involves me exhausting my parents with my endless talking so that they would let me watch T.V. just so I would shut up. Works every time.
Legend has it that Archimedes' last words to the Roman soldier who killed him were "Do not disturb my circles" referring to some drawings he had made in the sand.
The dedication.
Commendable, I’d say, sir. Even admirable.
The bottom line is- Archimedes was a pretty cool guy. In the world of modern physics and physicists, we often forget the forebearers of physics, who contributed by tons to what we use in our day-to-day lives. Archimedes, even though a genius, is still blinded under the shadows of modern-day scientists, sadly only known for the one most embarrassing thing that he did.
PHENOMENAL WORK VARSH💜
ReplyDeleteProud of you for your article writing skills🌝🥂
Wish I had an epiphany but not while bathing,not because I am uncomfortable with my body but because I don't want the global population to die just due to a heart attack. It would be an embarrassment for the human species.😶