Is it one, two or none? You decide
A YouGov poll has divided opinion on social media after pollsters set out to answer one of the most schismatic questions of our times.
Ranked alongside the ‘chicken or the egg’ conundrum, the debate over how many holes there are in a straw has long split opinion.
Some say there is obviously one, which is a theory backed by German mathematician Bernhard Riemann.
In his view, because a straw can be cut only once — from end to end — it can only have exactly one hole. If the surface does not have a boundary, like a torus, the first cut must begin and end at the same point.
But others say it clearly has two holes- one at each end, which are clearly visible when you look it its shape.
I am TIRED of this "a straw has one hole" NONSENSE.
A straw HAS TWO HOLES!!
— Lucas (@PunishedLink) August 12, 2022
The question, which has been fiercely debated over the years, returned an incredibly close result when put out by YouGov, with 46 per cent saying there is one hole and 47 per cent saying there is two.
The survery of almost 6,000 Americans found just 7 per cent didn’t have an opinion on the matter, with people quick to crack the obvious ‘straw poll’ jokes.
How many holes are there in a straw? pic.twitter.com/lZzkEqaPJ5
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) August 14, 2022
One person threw out a third answer, saying there are actually no holes in a straw.
The man, who goes by ‘Richard’ on social media, said a straw is “simply a sheet of plastic (no holes) folded into a cylinder”, so no holes have actually been created.
it’s 0. a straw is simply a sheet of plastic (no holes) folded into a cylinder. how has a hole been created? it is nonsense. https://t.co/mGML5uTz49
— richard (@richard_normal) August 12, 2022
Others made some saliant points that might change your thinking.
Be sure to consider all before making your mind up!
Look, if you tell the waiter there's a hole in your straw, they're gonna get you a new one. So, clearly, unless it's defective, a straw has no holes.
— Hasko von Kriegstein (@vonKriegstein) August 13, 2022
Me: How many holes are in a straw?
11yo: [Eyes wide, holds up one finger] ?☝️
Me: By that logic, your mouth and your butthole are the same hole, because it's one long tube. Does that change your answer?
11yo: Hmmm.? https://t.co/WsKgc6fbAi
— ? Dr. Walda Frey-Bolton ? (@fat_walda) August 14, 2022
Zero. Why isn’t 0 an option? A straw is a tube.
If it had holes, it wouldn’t work, as anyone who has tried to use a straw with a hole should know.
I feel bad for these people with holes in their straws. pic.twitter.com/cBy1EdnKbF
— Ira — worried for our democracy — Hyman (@ira_hyman) August 13, 2022
“A straw has 3 holes…top & bottom & the persons mouth” pic.twitter.com/Z923nYVkhn
— . (@UnrulyMessiah) August 4, 2022
Mathematicians: One
Philosophers: Perhaps there are two?
Physicist: Infinite spacing between atoms.Keir Starmer: We will announce our policy on holes in straw in the run up to the general election. https://t.co/Yz1afiMV40
— Some accounts you follow often like this Tweeter (@kevinpklau) August 11, 2022
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