Keep your finger over the hole in the bottom and you'll be able to fill the glass as much as you want.

IIRC this is called the "Greedy" cup or something like that? Invented by Deomcritus or some other greek philosopher dude, right?

quote:

Originally posted by rsbolo:
IIRC this is called the "Greedy" cup or something like that? Invented by Deomcritus or some other greek philosopher dude, right?

Yep, by Pythagoras.

After all, as his famous Pythagorean Theorum states:
A^2 + B^2 + Too Much Wine = C^2 + A Wet Lap.

Anyone with a little experience using a red neck credit card should know the answer.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by KMitch200:
My guess, right side would siphon, left would even out at the overflow point at the top.
(and why would anyone make such a thing?)

There's no left and right side. The drain column is a post in the center of the cup. Sort of like a Hydra-shok bullet...

As to why someone would make such a cup, there is a practical reason...supposedly.

Gotcha.
Hole in post would indeed drain it.

It called a Bell siphon, or sometimes an automatic or self starting siphon.
It will start when full and continue until the cup is empty.

I have played with building one to empty the water off my pool cover.


EDIT to add:

Does it have a practical use?
Think you have never seen one? Well... have you ever seen a toilet?

So, what you are supposed to do? hold the glass above your head and tilt your head back so the liquid falls into your mouth?

Is this one of those gag things from Stuckey's?

I own one of these cups. Bought it in Greece. As others have stated, it is a greed cup. It functions normally unless you fill it up too much.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
So, what you are supposed to do? hold the glass above your head and tilt your head back so the liquid falls into your mouth?

You can fill and drink from it normally, provided you do not fill it past the line where the interior bend in the center post begins. (Like what's shown in the 2nd/middle image.) If you do fill it past that point (like in the 3rd/right hand image), the contents are siphoned out the bottom.

Pythagoras designed it to punish/embarrass those who filled their wine cup too greedily full. Hence why it's called a "greedy cup".

The correct answer is "All the liquid would drain out until the glass was completely empty." Well done, most of you got this.

As some of you mentioned, the Pythagorean Cup was invented by the same Greek philosopher/mathematician who was into triangles. Supposedly it reprimanded greedy wine drinkers who poured more than their fair share.

Here's the complete sequence:



And the video:

Thanks. An interesting demonstration of something I was not very familiar with.

As someone mentioned, it is the same principle behind the modern toilet: