Noah's Ark
During the Renaissance, a new kind of scholarship arose. These people never questioned the literal truth of the Ark story. They began to think about it from a practical point of view. In the 15th century, Alfonso Tostada wrote about the logic of the Ark, including things such as arrangements for getting rid of dung and circulating fresh air.  The 16th-century geometrician Johannes Buteo worked out the ship's internal dimensions.  He also allowed room for Noah's grinding mills and smokeless ovens.  Later people also used his model.