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I've recently been doing a comparative study of ancient Sumerian mythology relative to the book of Genesis. I am curious if there is a way to explain mathematically why a circular, square (cubic) or rectangular boat might be more or less viable than any other hull design. Specifically, can a person use an understanding of geometry and trigonometry to explore the angle of vanishing stability beyond which a vessel cannot heel without capsizing.

I am curious why flood mythology uses each of these boat designs and if one is more stable than the others or if all designs are unstable.

Any suggestions?

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$$\begin{array}{l}\text{Which when Deucalion, with a piteous look}\cr \text{Beheld, he wept, and thus to Pyrrha spoke:}\cr \text{Oh wife, oh sister, oh of all thy kind}\cr \text{The best, and only creature left behind,}\cr \text{By kindred, love, and now by dangers joyn'd;}\cr \text{Of multitudes, who breath'd the common air,}\cr \text{We two remain; a species in a pair:}\cr \text{The rest the seas have swallow'd; nor have we}\cr \text{Ev'n of this wretched life a certainty.}\end{array}$$

http://classics.mit.edu/Ovid/metam.1.first.html

There was a photography exhibition in the 1950's called The Family of Man, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_of_Man

This included a large section of pictures of couples. These were captioned "We Two Form a Multitude," which was taken from Ovid. My parents had the museum catalog, big book reproducing many of the photographs.

Will Jagy
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