this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2023
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At work we somehow landed on the topic of how many holes a human has, which then evolved into a heated discussion on the classic question of how many holes does a straw have.

I think it's two, but some people are convinced that it's one, which I just don't understand. What are your thoughts?

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[–] krayj 117 points 1 year ago (23 children)

1 'hole' if you can call it that. Imagine if the straw started life as a solid cylinder and you had to bore out the inside to turn it into a straw: if that were the case, you would drill 1 hole all the way through it.

Another analogy is a donut. Would you agree that a donut has just 1 hole? I would say yes. Now stretch that donut vertically untill you have a giant cylinder with a hole in the middle. That's basically now just a straw. The fact you stretched it doesn't increase the number of holes it has.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (11 children)

What if you bored from both ends of the cylinder until they meet in the middle?

There would be two holes until, at the moment of contact, it becomes one?

Does the method with which the straw shaft is created influence the number of holes it has?

[–] SpaceNoodle 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (9 children)

No, topologically there would be no holes until the moment of contact. This is the same as there being no hole when drilling through from only one side until the surface on the opposing side is broken.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So how does one “dig a hole?” Straight to China? Or whatever is opposite of you?

[–] SpaceNoodle 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Topologically, yes. Buy you could also go down a bit, make a lateral tunnel, then pop back up.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

So what you are saying is, if I dig a hole that doesn't go anywhere, then that's not really a hole?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

In topology, yes. It must go through to count.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's fascinating. So most of what I would call "holes" are what, in topographical terms, hollows? Depressions?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I don't even know if they have a name for that since it can simply be undone by stretching the object, which is allowed under topological rules.

[–] SpaceNoodle 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Topologically, yes. Coincidentally, "Hole to Nowhere" is the best Talking Heads parody album.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Heh I will have to check that out!

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