A New Math Puzzle Ignites the Internet: The 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2) Debate
The internet is no stranger to perplexing puzzles that ignite heated debates. Remember the viral blue and black dress that sent social media into a frenzy? Well, buckle up because we have another brain-teaser that’s got workplaces and even scientists scratching their heads.

A Viral Challenge
It all started in 2019 when a user posted a photo on Twitter, challenging their followers to solve a math problem that has since become a bone of contention: 8 ÷ 2(2 + 2). What seems like a simple equation has stirred up a full-blown debate, not just on Twitter, but across various social media platforms.

Southeastern Louisiana University, whom they believed had finally resolved the debate.

Allain clarified, “This is a matter of convention. Just like spelling the color as ‘gray’ or ‘grey,’ there are different conventions. Although we have established conventions for writing math equations, we can still understand what’s going on.” Allain suggested that the question should have been correctly written as 8/(2*(2+2)), which would yield the answer of 1.

The Ongoing Debate
So, dear readers, the question remains: 16 or 1? The battle of interpretations continues to captivate minds and underscore the intriguing world of mathematics.