Can a Single Drop of Water Float a Ten-Thousand-Ton Ship? Li Yongle Responds: Don't Even Think About Forcing Me to Admit I'm Wrong
A video released three years ago by Li Yongle about a single drop of water floating a ten-thousand-ton ship has recently sparked a new round of controversy. Many netizens question his claim and demand an apology. Li Yongle recently responded, firmly stating he will not admit wrongdoing and maintains his viewpoint.
He explained that in reality, not even a cup of water could float a giant ship – it would evaporate instantly when spread across the hull, a fact everyone understands. However, the statement itself uses scientific reasoning to explain Archimedes' principle.
Buoyancy only relates to the volume of water displaced, not the total amount of water. As long as the ship's shape is suitable and there is enough space around it for water to form a “cavity” matching the hull, theoretically, even a very small amount of water could float the ship, just like Galileo's inclined plane experiment. It’s a method of reasoning based on an ideal experiment.
Many people misunderstand this as requiring a single drop of water to cover the entire hull, but that was not his intention. He simply wanted to use this extreme example to help everyone better understand the difference between displacement and water volume, and to grasp the essence of buoyancy. He said that science isn't only about what can be achieved in reality being correct; the process of helping people get closer to the truth is valuable.
Faced with netizens demanding he admit his mistake, he directly stated he absolutely will not, because he is upholding the spirit of science, not a simple conclusion. As for marketing accounts claiming he founded a new school of physics, he said everyone should disregard it and just see it as a joke.