Was “alogon” unsayable because it was a mathematical Voldemort, or because the concept of irrationality was so difficult to express? Probably a little bit of both. Hippasus’s fate is a mix of legends, with some saying he was drowned at sea by the will of the Gods after discovering irrationality, and others suggesting he angered the Pythagoreans to the point of murder. What’s true? Who knows! Greek mathematics makes the Wild West look tame.
#shorts