An Illustrative Anecdote
In 1623, in the midst of a war with the Catholic Poles, the King of Sweden, King Gustav Adolphus II, launched his most formidable and impressive battleship, the Vasa. The ship was festooned with carvings and ornate structures that were intended to intimidate his enemy into retreat. Unfortunately, 15 minutes into its maiden voyage, amid much fanfare and pageantry, the Vasa keeled over and sank to the bottom of Stockholm's harbor, killing about 30 of its crewmen and astounding a shocked throng that was keen to celebrate the king's newly christened flagship.
The designer (who had died during the Vasa's construction) was blamed for having designed the ship with too little ballast, but recently, a new theory is gaining ground ...
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