Chapter 4, Archimedes and His Lever Summary and Analysis

Archimedes eventually went back to Syracuse but he still wanted to explore his ideas and did so in his study. He worked in the dirt, as papyrus was expensive and hard to change. He would even trace diagrams on his skin in the tub. He would often argue with King Hiero; they argued about whether pure mathematics was the most beautiful thing or whether practical things that all could understand were more beautiful. But mechanics could combine both, as it is the action of force on things and understanding these interactions through mathematics.

Archimedes one day argued to Hiero that any weight anywhere could be moved with the right force in the right amount. He could move the world with a lever, if only it were long enough. He then claimed that he...