By Joseph Nelson
“Are there more wheels or doors in the world?”
Thousands of people have asked friends this seemingly innocuous question in the past fortnight, sparking hours of light-hearted debate.
“Think about the number of doors in a house,” is the response. “Or even hotels!
“But then there are 18-wheeler lorries and even LEGO wheels.”
It seems as though everyone has come across this topic in the past couple of weeks, as we desperately search for an escape from the same mainstream news.
Of course, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine rightly takes precedent, and the world hopes for a swift conclusion and return to peace.
But these light-hearted debates-which are pointless in the grand scheme of things- afford us a chance to partake in a discussion, departed from world issues.
And perhaps the biggest draw is the fact that there is no definitive answer.
People have attempted to come to conclusions with elaborate equations for working out how many wheels and doors there are in the world, but the reality is that no one really knows!
In addition, people will make an initial judgement when first presented with the question, and it is comical to the see the way that people defend their decision, regardless of opposing arguments.
“But what about fridges and microwaves? They have doors.”
“Yes but microwaves also have wheels that allow bowls and plates to spin around.”
For every new suggestion, there is an instant counter argument.
Such was the popularity of the wheels and doors debate; other similar arguments have been born.
People are now considering whether there are more windows or chairs in the world, and some are even weighing up the ratio of footballs to football boots.
Granted, the popularity of these debates may dissipate as quickly as they grew, and they will be consigned to the ‘social media craze’ archive, alongside the blue vs gold dress argument, the Harlem Shake, and the Mannequin Challenge.
Despite this, debates like ‘wheels or doors’ have provided sorely needed light relief, and have been welcomed with open arms.