Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a French mathematician who established a number of scientific and philosophical ideas that are still referenced over 350 years after his death. "Pascal's wager" posits that evidence, or lack thereof, is not enough to determine the existence of the Christian god, and that one should bet on its existence for fear of eternal damnation. "Pascal's law" is a principle that states that pressure changes at one point in a confined incompressible fluid applies consistent changes everywhere. He also invented a calculator in 1642 used for his father's tax-collecting work, adding a mechanical element to the manually-operated Napier's bones developed decades earlier, itself an updated version of an abacus.

References

• During the "Muppet Labs Field Test" segment of the Muppets Now episode "The I.T. Factor," an animated Waldorf plays Pascal driving a treaded plow during Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's explanation of pressure. Later, a call center operator on the hydraulic press support line explains that their products operate in accordance with Pascal's law. She explains the principle, summarizing, "Basically, you gotta squish squishier stuff."