Headline: "Mathematicians Discover How Many Licks It Takes to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop"

Well, people have been wondering how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, and now some applied mathematicians at New York University have estimated that it takes about 1000 licks. The main reason behind the study is in fact a rather serious one:

The study was done to explore the effects of dissolving materials within a fluid flow, such as rocks in geological environments and pills for pharmaceutical applications. The lollipop angle was just a fun side effect.

(Tip of the cap to whoever posts on Facebook for SIAM .)