Inktober Day 3 - Crown (Archimedes and King Midas' Crown - Story in description)

            The story of Archimedes and King Midas' Crown 

In Ancient Greece King Midas commissioned a goldsmith to create a new crown. He gave the goldsmith 2 bars of pure gold. 

As with most kings, rulers, bosses, supervisors, etc... He became suspicious that the goldsmith was going to cut the gold and add copper and silver and sell the remaining gold for himself. My experience is that these paranoid, obsessive micromanagers are actually the laziest, most useless, unproductive people in the world...and they know it. People who screw others without hesitation are the most suspicious of everyone else ..which is why it is so satisfying to see the axe fall on them. Elon Musk is indicative of someone who's stupid and never done a useful or productive thing in their life. They've mooched at society's teats since birth but are brutal and in their quest for efficiency from their "lazy" employees. I understand the blood-thirst for the guillotine that arose in 19th-century France when this behavior reached its tipping point...as we are experiencing these days. 

King Midas' paranoia grew to such a fervor that he called in the day's prominent polymath Archimedes. Archimedes probably was "thrilled" to get this summons to the King's court. King Midas laid out his fear that he was getting screwed. After all King Midas did this routinely to his creditors. Much as our local developers make screwing small subcontractors just part of doing business. 

King Midas asked Archimedes to determine if the crown was the pure gold he gave the goldsmith. If it wasn't he would behead the goldsmith. In fact he might do it as a matter of course to stave off any future thievery. In his heart King Midas would have absolutely cheated his client out of the gold. It's just how you operate in this world. 

Archimedes, I imagine, stood there sweating and stroking his beard. This was not a challenge he wanted to be involved in, but the King "volunteered" him. Archimedes probably requested a night to do some study and slunk back to his home to contemplate him and the poor goldsmith losing their heads together. 

As the story goes Archimedes, probably spent the evening pacing and drinking wine before finally deciding to take a bath to calm his nerves. As he settled into the tub the water in the tub rose and spilled over the sides a bit...AND THEN IT OCCURRED TO HIM, "The mass of a substance, divided by its displacement...the density....is individual for each substance." That is, Pure Gold should have a density different from adulterated gold. He reportedly shouted "EUREKA" which is "I've got it" in Greek. 

The story has no ending concerning the crown or King Midas or the goldsmith. The king and the crown are incidental to the real world whereas real knowledge is the prize for humanity. I love this story for the fact that the ending is a presentation to humanity the most precious of human treasures...knowledge. Archimedes principle (still as true today as forever) explains and describes so much of the world around us....everything from Star formation, nucleosynthesis, ocean currents, plate tectonics...to boats, glass manufacturing, aircraft design, etc. etc. etc.

Taken in: United States / New York / Buffalo / Buffalo (show map)

Taken on: October 4, 2025

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Sets appears in: • Inktober 2025 • Arts & Crafts

Groups appears in: • Amateur Drawings • Doodlegang more » • Your Art - Not Photography (No SL images} • Sketchbook • drawings • Sketches • The Drawing Club at Flickr • drawing • pen and ink drawings • Artists Without Cameras • Ink Drawings • Pen and Ink • Drawers!! • Love to Draw or paint • Draw everything • *Paintings & Drawings* • Artworks on Paper • DRAW! • _ Drawings _ • Artists Rejoice!! • ART - My Creative Juices Were Flowing! • and ink • Oodles of Doodles • We draw ! • Artists Without Borders • Obsessive Compulsive Art Tendencies (OCAT) • Artists of flickr! • Arte - Pittura • Art Galore • Doodle 101 • Sharing Art Work • art with a story • show me your art • doodle world • pen drawing • So You Like to Draw? • Zeichnungen/Drawing • Your ART!! • Doodles Sketches and Scribbles in Pen or Pencil • Flickr ART society • pen and ink art work • yes ...... i can draw • Doodlers Anonymous: The permanent home for spontaneous art • My Draw • ART FOR OUR SAKE • Art - Created by you • Drawing from imagination • Doodles. Scribbles. Sketches. etc ♥ • iDraw • Drawing (the noun or verb) • Inktober 2025 « less

Camera: Google Pixel 6a, f/1.7, 1/60 sec, 4.4mm, ISO 111 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Google Pixel 6a
Aperture:	f/1.7
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	4.4mm
ISO:	111
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	HDR+ 1.0.773153310zd
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