The Life of the Spider 



searching for the tomb of Archimedes amid 

 the thorns and brambles that cover us with 

 oblivion, recognized it, among the ruins, by 

 the geometrical figure engraved upon the 

 stone: the cylinder circumscribing the sphere. 

 Archimedes, in fact, was the first to know the 

 approximate relation of circumference to 

 diameter; from it he deduced the perimeter 

 and surface of the circle, as well as the surface 

 and volume of the sphere. He showed that 

 the surface and volume of the last-named 

 equal two-thirds of the surface and volume of 

 the circumscribing cylinder. Disdaining all 

 pompous inscription, the learned Syracusan 

 honoured himself with his theorem as his sole 

 epitaph. The geometrical figure proclaimed 

 the individual's name as plainly as would any 

 alphabetical characters. 



To have done with this part of our subject, 

 here is another property of the logarithmic 

 spiral. Roll the curve along an indefinite 

 straight line. Its pole will become displaced 

 while still keeping on one straight line. The 

 endless scroll leads to rectilinear progression ; 

 the perpetually varied begets uniformity. 



Now is this logarithmic spiral, with its 

 curious properties, merely a conception of the 



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