this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2023
293 points (94.5% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26980 readers
1313 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion@lemmy.world


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either !asklemmyafterdark@lemmy.world or !asklemmynsfw@lemmynsfw.com. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email info@lemmy.world. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

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?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] ccunning@lemmy.world 55 points 1 year ago (4 children)

How many holes does a rubber band have? A donut?

Topologically a rubber band, a donut, and a straw have the same number of holes. The hole at either end of the straw is just a continuation of the same one hole.

[–] key@lemmy.keychat.org 8 points 1 year ago (6 children)

By that argument your mouth is a continuation of your asshole... No offense.

[–] simplecyphers@lemmy.world 70 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] andyburke@kbin.social 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Some people haven't realized almost all animals are just tubes with various fancy shit glued on.

Edit: including humans

[–] Itty53@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or put biologically, virtually all fauna are just various advanced forms of flatworm.

[–] Petrichor3345@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

IIRC humans have 7 holes topologically (assuming both vsauce and my memory are correct). I'm not sure how many a flatworm would have, but I bet you could group animals by number of holes topologically, which might be interesting.

[–] key@lemmy.keychat.org 1 points 1 year ago

Two ears, mouth/anus/nostrils, urethra, optionally vagina. That's 5...what else, eye sockets?

[–] GreenPlasticSushiGrass@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Flatworms have a single opening that leads to a branching cavity (an incomplete digestive system). This means that the single opening is for both ingesting nutrients and expelling waste. While your mouth may be attached to your anus via the alimentary canal, I think it beats the hell out of having one multi-purpose opening, imho.

[–] Petrichor3345@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Right, technically a human only has 1 hole for ingesting nutrients and expelling waste as well though, assuming you are talking about the mouth and anus. Does a flatworm have any other through holes though e.g. nostrils or tear ducts? I have no idea what the biology of a flatworm is haha.

[–] GreenPlasticSushiGrass@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

No, gas exchange is by simple diffusion across the skin and gut. No ears or eyes per se, just some photosensitive cells in slight depressions on the head. Planaria are pretty simple as far as animals go.

[–] RealNooshie@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

I guess we all are talking out of our asses, then...

[–] HamSwagwich@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Indeed, and when you kiss someone you are making one big hole connected by two assholes.

[–] swab148@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Anal 69s just make one big reverse-donut

[–] swab148@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Anal 69s just make one big reverse-donut

[–] kursis@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

For normal people asshole would be continuation from mouth, but I don't judge. You do you!

[–] jclinares@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

I assume that's how OP's debate of how many holes a human had ended up being about straws: someone argued that the mouth and the anus are just one hole

[–] Th4tGuyII@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Given the amount of people I know who are always full of shit, I'd buy that

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 1 points 1 year ago

None of them have holes, usually. A hole goes from the outside of a volume to the inside. Those are all intact tori.

[–] wanderingmagus@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Take that cylinder and stretch it until it's a cube with two square cutouts in it. Stretch in some of the inner walls. Now you have a house, with a door and a window. Now: does the house have two holes - a door and a window - or does it have one hole?

[–] patchw3rk@kbin.social -1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I disagree. A rubber band and a donut do not have an 'in' and 'out'.

[–] DarraignTheSane@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago

A straw does? What are you, the straw police?

[–] papalonian@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Stick your finger through a donut, does it go in one side and out the other?

[–] Th4tGuyII@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

A straw's "in" and "out" are completely arbitrary. You can flip a straw either way and it'd still work.

Anything with a hole through it that isn't perfectly 2D could have a "in" and "out" side. Your rubber band your doughnut only don't have one because nobody ever thought to define one.