The opportunity to recover the words of Archimedes

2000/09/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Historia

XXII. In the 19th century, the friars who lived in Constantinoplan in search of where to write their suspicions, found an old scroll and erased what was written in it. Unfortunately in the scroll were written 7 treatises by the mathematician Archimedes. "Autumn in the Forest"

It was discovered in 1907 and with the help of the magnifying glass was obtained the transcription of some parts. But in World War I the manuscript disappeared and did not appear again until 1998.

A collector paid $2 million for its acquisition. The scroll is now in the hands of researchers, who will use microscopes to study the cell structure to read Archimedes' original words. By laser they have managed to emerge what is written in the inner layers of the scroll. They clarify the scroll with different wavelengths and computerize its reflection.

However, the Archimedes treaties have long been known, as they were transcribed by other 10th century friars. The reading of the originals therefore has an archaeological and historical value mainly.