Bathroom Breaks That Changed History

Bathroom Breaks That Changed History

Shannon Quinn - November 19, 2022

Bathroom Breaks That Changed History
Archimedes apparently figured out one of his biggest discoveries in the bath tub. Credit: Live Science

The Bath That Led to an Important Discovery

This next one isn’t a “bathroom break” in the sense of relieving yourself, but it was still a huge historic event that took place in a bathroom. In ancient Greece, Archimedes was challenged to figure out if a crown made for the King of Syracuse was pure gold or not. He thought long and hard but could not find a method for proving that the crown was not solid gold. Soon after, he filled a bathtub and noticed that water spilled over the edge as he got in. He realized that the water displaced by his body was equal to the weight of his body. This became known as the “Archimedes Principle”. As the legend goes, Archimedes was so excited by his discovery, that he jumped out of the bathtub and ran down the street naked shouting, “Eureka!” about his discovery.

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