Hint: it's not three
Scientists have finally answered one of humanities most pressing questions: how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop?
Turns out, it takes an estimated 1,000 licks to get to the center of a lollipop. In a study recently published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, researchers from New York University and Florida State University developed a theory for how flowing liquid dissolves and shrinks material which they then used to determine how long it would take to dissolve a lollipop. For Tootsie Rolls specifically, researchers told the New York Post, it’ll take about 2,500 licks. Go home, rest of the science world, there are no more questions left.
Though the lollipop finding is clearly the most pressing, the theory can also be used for important research in geology and pharmaceutical science, according to a report by Science Daily.
h/t NY Post