How To Debunk Fake Math Proofs?
You spot one, you spot them all!
I recently came across a viral fake math proof, and it got me thinking. For the life of me, I could not figure out what makes such a phenomenon go viral.
Is it akin to a real-life magic trick, I wonder? We all know that a magic trick does not break the laws of physics that we are used to. However, there is a certain charm to it, for the end result appears to break the laws.
Some of us want to believe that extraordinary events are possible; events that break the laws of reality; events that are truly magic.
Some of us just want to look underneath the veil to figure out what the trick is all about and expose its underlying sleight of hand. I belong to this category.
Why don’t we start with the fake math proof in the title image?
The Oldest and Simplest Trick in the Book
We all know that 2 cannot be equal to 1. It is an illogical result. If someone simply claimed that 2 = 1, most of us would not bother holding a conversation with that person.
However, since the fake proof supposedly uses algebra to arrive at the (illogical) result, I guess that it has an air of seriousness to it. We are intrigued to look into the details — wondering…
