Democritus
This celebrity goo was created by Scott Hardie.
publication date: Monday, March 23, 2026 (part of March 2026)
category: 
Philosophy
clue: It's funny how this this ancient Greek would, like his writing, probably be lost to history today if not for the one irreducible idea at the core of his work, because it would be proven right millennia later.
explanation: Democritus was an ancient philosopher best remembered today for his atomic theory of the universe, which proposed the concept of atoms long before they were proven by science. His original works are all lost, and he is remembered only through quotes and descriptions by other people, who referred to him as the "laughing philosopher" because of his cheerful nature. more…
intended difficulty: medium
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, and Richard Slominsky
Similar Goos
Confucius
Players who score five goos in row earn ire of others. Go »
Karl Marx
Your need to guess this goo correctly is diametrically opposed to my need to stump you with it, but at least I'm not paying you. Go »
Voltaire
He disapproves of this goo, but he would defend to the death your right to guess it. Go »
Niccolò Machiavelli
Politics were never princely again after this writer-philosopher blew the livy off the Italian Renaissance. Go »
Aristotle
From Plato to Alexander, few have deduced the physical and metaphysical elements of life as well. Go »
