Not only renowned in the field of mathematics, Pythagoras was also a great thinker with valuable lessons for humanity, exemplified by the following story about a peculiar cup.
Anyone who has ever attended school is likely familiar with the famous mathematician Pythagoras. He is regarded as the “father of arithmetic” and was the first to successfully prove that the sum of the angles in a triangle equals 180°. He is most famously known for the mathematical theorem that bears his name: (Pythagorean theorem: In a right triangle, the sum of the squares of the two legs equals the square of the hypotenuse).
However, Pythagoras was not only talented in mathematics; he was also a distinguished philosopher and thinker who imparted lessons to his students and the people of Greece. Among these lessons, the story of the peculiar cup created by Pythagoras stands out, designed to teach lessons to the greedy who pour their drinks to the brim instead of just enough.
This cup features a rim that serves as a marker. If one pours water up to the rim or below it, there is no issue. However, if someone is greedy and fills the cup to the top, the liquid will spill out completely, leaving nothing in the cup. This peculiar phenomenon is due to the cup’s unique design, which perhaps only a mathematical mind could conceive.
The special design and mechanism of the cup created by Pythagoras.
Images of the Pythagorean cup
Video explaining the mechanism of the Pythagorean cup and the changes when a little mercury is applied. (Source: Periodic Videos)
