Social media phenomenon sparks scientific discussion and celebrity involvement
The Internet has been consumed by one viral debate this week – how many humans would it take to beat one gorilla? More than 288 million have been debating the strange query, which suddenly popped up and spread like fire on social media.
Even Mr Beast, the YouTuber known for his high-on-adrenaline games, could not keep himself out of it. In fact, he wants 100 volunteers to test it out for themselves.
It all started when a user named DreamChasnMike on the social media platform X suggested that it would take 100 “dedicated” humans to overpower one gorilla. The user stated that if you take one angry gorilla and put it on the field to fight an army of humans, and if the latter is less than 100 in number, then the gorilla would win.
However, this is not the first instance of the question on the internet. The first time it was asked was five years ago on the discussion forum Reddit.
Musk, Mr Beast engage in viral gorilla debate
The question has taken on a life of its own now, with experts pitching in with their rationale and explanations, podcasts taking a hit at the viral question, and celebrities quipping in on what they think.
Mail Online reported that world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk was recently asked the gorilla vs. humans question, and he is confident that he would win a boxing match with a silverback mountain gorilla.
During an interview on TalkSPORT, the 38-year-old Ukrainian fighter even suggested that his ten-year-old son, Mykhailo, can beat the gorilla with his judo skills. He was obviously giving a humorous twist to the debate, and this just shows how much attention the question is gaining worldwide.
Mr Beast, or Jimmy Donaldson, had his own viral moment with the question when he joked, “Need 100 men to test this, any volunteers?”
One of those who joined in was Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who replied, “Sure, what’s the worst that could happen?”
To help settle the debate, Encyclopaedia Britannica has released a “100 Men vs. 1 Gorilla Study Pack”, which carries data on bone strength and muscle power of the two beings.
Some think one gorilla can kill everyone on the planet
The viral gorilla debate has divided the internet. Many people feel that 100 humans are more than enough to beat one gorilla, while others think that can never happen.
One user stated that the sheer number of hands proves that 100 humans can easily defeat a gorilla. “100 people equals 400 hands and feet.”
The user further cited how ancient man hunted woolly mammoths, so how hard can it be to overpower one gorilla?
One user went a step further in favor of the gorilla and said that one is enough to not only kill 100 humans but everyone on the planet. “When standing, only three attackers are within reach. If you can continually fight off three, you can defend against an infinite number.”
The question is expected to spiral further in the coming days. However, everyone is missing one important point—gorillas are inherently peaceful animals. They are rarely aggressive towards each other and almost never fight.
