Pythagorean Cup - Pythagoras Cup

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Human beings have long been fascinated by the clever design of the Pythagorean cup. This ancient drinking vessel looks like any ordinary cup, but it has a unique feature - a central column that runs through its center, giving it a distinctive shape reminiscent of a Bundt pan. The column is positioned directly above the stem and hole at the bottom of the cup. A small open pipe connects this hole to nearly the top of the central column, where an open chamber awaits. This chamber is connected by another pipe to the bottom of the central column, where a small hole exposes the pipe to the contents of the bowl. When filled with liquid, the Pythagorean cup behaves according to Pascal's principle of communicating vessels, causing the liquid to rise through the second pipe up to the top chamber. As long as the level of the liquid does not exceed the chamber, the cup functions normally. But if it rises further, the liquid spills into the first pipe and out the bottom. Gravity then creates a powerful siphon through the central column, emptying the entire contents of the cup through the hole at the bottom of the stem. In fact, some modern toilets operate on the same principle - when the water level in the bowl rises high enough, a siphon is created, flushing the toilet with ease.