In 2019, a maths problem that seemed easy caused a heated discussion on social media, leaving both experts and non-experts scratching their heads. The controversial question, 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2), caused a stir, similar to the famous blue and black dress that made everyone question reality.
The maths problem went viral so quickly that even scientists and writers from Popular Mechanics were asked to help. The editors of the magazine were very split, so they took their argument to the office chat room to figure out what was going on.
To use this method, first solve the solution inside the brackets (2+2), which gives you 4.
This would lead to 8 ÷ 2 x 4. Mashup Math explained that the action on the left is the most important, so 8 2 should be solved first, which gives us 4. The answer is 16 when you multiply 4 by 4.
But there was a catch: half of the people online, including some scientists, strongly disagreed with this approach. The argument went on and on, showing how hard it is to understand maths.
This equation turned into a strange cultural event that showed how complicated maths can be and how important it is to be clear when you talk to people. As the argument goes on, one thing is for sure: even the simplest maths tasks can have hidden layers of difficulty.
People on the internet were asked to think about it, and the results are still not clear. What do you think about the answer?
