Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher behind the Pythagorean theorem, used to joke his students by serving them wive in a cup that looked normal but, when filled beyond a certain point, it was all drained back out.
Called Greedy cup (or Pythagorean cup), it was used by Pythagoras to both joke his students and teach them the negative effects of being greedy. The cup itself looked like an ordinary cup, but in the middle, positioned directly over the stem, it had a “pipe” with a small hole in the bottom, just like the picture below:
When the cup is filled, gravity creates a siphon that causes the entire contents of the cup to be emptied through the central column and via the hole at the bottom of the stem. (the article continues after the ad)
Here’s a video on how it works:
Pythagorean cups are still being made today and are indeed a great way to troll people. You can get one from Amazon:
If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: The First Cell Phone Call Was An Epic Troll
Main Article Photos: Creative Commons
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
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