For years, Tootsie Pop commercials have been raising a question whose answer is important to every child, and that question is “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” As the child thinks about this question and views the iconic Mr. Owl bite the Tootsie Pop, the commercial tells the child “the world may never know.”

After years of the same question pestering people all over the world, scientists have finally been able to find the answer!

Scientists have found that it takes about 1000 licks to get to the center of a lollipop, and they used math and fluid flowing models to figure this out! Researchers at New York University created their own candy spheres (Tootsie Pops) and cylinders (Jolly Ranchers) and tested how the materials dissolved!

They found that a lollipop would take about 1000 licks! Of course, real world factors would affect the number, but this number is the closest anyone has ever been!

To learn more about the experiment, read more here!