Ridiculous History Inventors Who Died Due To Their Own Inventions: The Irrational Death of Hippasus
Mar 12, 2026
A dive into the myth of an ancient mathematician whose discovery of irrational numbers sparked violence and mystery. Short scenes explore Pythagorean cult beliefs, sacred geometry, and how a simple proof could upend an entire worldview. Several versions of the legend are retold and the line between fact and folklore is probed.
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What Makes A Number Irrational
- Irrational numbers are real numbers that cannot be written as a ratio of two integers.
- Hosts explain with examples: pi and non-perfect-square roots like sqrt(2) produce nonrepeating, nonterminating decimals.
Pythagoras Built A Math Cult
- Pythagoras founded a secretive Pythagorean community blending math, philosophy, and religious practices.
- Hosts describe rituals: vegetarian rules, sacred geometry belief, and communal living in southern Italy.
Discovery Shattered The Pythagorean Worldview
- The Pythagoreans believed every number is a ratio of integers until Hippasus found contradictions.
- While constructing polyhedra or pentagram ratios, Hippasus reportedly proved some lengths couldn't be fractional.