The Principle Which Allows Boats to Float (Genesis 6)
BY PATRICK SHABI
Commonly regarded as one of the world’s greatest scientists, Archimedes gave us many principles and equations which are still used in mathematics today. One of Archimedes most well-known discoveries is the Archimedes principle, discovered in 256 B.C., which states: “a result stating that a body totally or partially immersed in a fluid is subject to an upward force equal in magnitude to the weight of fluid it displaces.” This principle is more commonly referred to as buoyancy. Interestingly, it is said that the discovery of this principle by Archimedes wasn’t to help with a problem he had with boats (since this is its mostly commonly used application today), but was actually a result of him trying to come up with a way to determine if a crown made for the king Hieron, of Syracuse, was made of pure gold as the goldsmith had claimed (first recorded in the first century B.C. by Roman architect Vitruvius). Regardless of its intended application at the time, it is this principle which allows the modern world to create the massive cruise and cargo ships we see today.
If Archimedes had read the Bible, he would have probably had an easier time devising this method. The oldest book in the Bible, Genesis, was written by Moses in the 13-14th century B.C. The information in this book is even older, dating back to the creation and dawn of civilization. Although this was a revolutionary discovery for the Greeks, the Bible shows us this fundamental principle within its first 6 chapters. In Genesis 6, we read about Noah’s Ark where the dimensions and specifications of that Ark are given to Noah by God. Why is this important? Analysis of these dimensions show that what’s recorded is the exact proportion according to buoyancy (Archimedes’ principle), which would have allowed the Ark to float.
Image by Hany Alashkar from Pixabay
In 1993 a major scientific study was headed by Dr. Seon Hong at the world-class ship research center KRISO, based in Dajeon, South Korea (Dr. Seon Hong was later appointed general director of KRISO). This study was to compare the hull dimensions and design of the Ark to modern cargo ships to determine which design was the most practical. Out of the twelve hulls tested, it was concluded that no hull design of a modern cargo ship outperformed Noah’s Ark. Furthermore, it was determined that the dimensions outlined in Genesis 6 would have made a perfectly balanced ship, with the balance easily lost if the proportions were modified even slightly. More recently, student research from the University of Leicester conducted in 2014, shows the dimensions described in the Genesis account were more than adequate to accommodate the weight of the ark and for holding up to 70,000 animals without sinking (other research shows the amount of species alive at the time would have only been 35,000; however, that number is just an estimate and up to interpretation). Student Benjamin Jordan working on the project concluded: “Using the dimensions of the Ark and the density of the water, we were able to calculate its buoyancy force, which, according to Archimedes’ principle, is equal to the weight of the volume of fluid the object displaces.” (https://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-noahs-arc-would-have-floated-with-70000-animals-if-built-by-dimensions-in-the-bible-2014-4)
If you have ever been on a cruise ship or seen a cargo ship floating on the water, you can appreciate the science and exactness that must have gone into perfecting these ships’ design. Beginning in the late 18th century, the design of modern cargo ships, as we see them today, began to be slowly perfected over the course of centuries. However, with all the time, money, resources, and lost lives spent perfecting this design and pushing the boundaries on size of these ships, the answer to their questions was already given to them, inspired by God, millennia before.