Some Debates Never Die
The internet loves a fight that can be reopened on demand, preferably with a screenshot and a tone that suggests everyone else is deeply confused. A lot of these arguments never end because they are not really about the topic, they are about taste, identity, nostalgia, or the thrill of picking a side in public. Other arguments dragged on for years and then quietly died once a governing body made a ruling, a pile of research got too big to ignore, or the basic mechanics became widely understood. Even then, the internet keeps receipts, so the old claims still show up like a zombie thread. Here are ten internet arguments that never end, followed by ten that actually got settled.
Helena Jankovičová Kováčová on Pexels
1. Pineapple On Pizza
This one keeps going because it is really about who gets to define good taste, and food is personal in a way people do not admit. Everyone has a story about the first time they saw it, and the story becomes a badge. The argument survives because no fact can end it, and no one wants it to.
2. iPhone Vs. Android
People argue specs, then pivot to vibes, then end up talking about the kind of person who owns each phone. The products change every year, so the debate constantly refreshes itself without ever reaching a final answer. It is consumer identity dressed up as analysis.
3. Cats Vs. Dogs
This one is basically a personality quiz disguised as a pet preference. Dog people talk about loyalty, cat people talk about boundaries, and both sides act like that says something deep about adulthood. The argument never ends because both animals are great at different things and people keep trying to crown one.
4. The Office Vs. Friends
Sitcom loyalty hits a weird nerve because it is tied to when you watched it, who you watched it with, and what kind of humor felt safe at the time. You can bring up writing quality all day, and it will still come down to comfort. The internet keeps re-litigating it because reruns keep recruiting new jurors.
5. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich
This debate lives forever because it feels like logic, yet it is really about categories people want to be stable. Someone always brings in dictionary definitions, and someone else brings in structural engineering. Nobody is actually trying to eat differently as a result.
6. Toilet Paper Over Or Under
It is a household detail that somehow gets treated like a moral stance. People cite the original patent diagram, then refuse to budge anyway because the real driver is habit. The argument keeps returning because it is easy, harmless, and endlessly memeable.
7. Tabs Vs. Spaces
Even when teams agree on a standard, somebody still feels personally offended by the other option. The debate persists because it is tied to workflow, aesthetics, and the belief that one choice signals discipline. It is also a ritual argument, the kind people repeat to feel part of a tribe.
8. Subtitles On Or Off
Some people want pure immersion, and some people want every line caught cleanly, especially with mumble-heavy audio mixing. This one also splits along language, hearing, attention, and the simple fact that people watch TV while doing other things. There is no final ruling that will make everyone watch the same way.
9. GIF Pronunciation
The argument lasts because both sides can justify themselves and nobody wants to concede a syllable. It has been debated in interviews, tech forums, and comment sections that should have moved on years ago. The internet keeps it alive because it is short, low-stakes, and weirdly satisfying to argue.
10. Is Die Hard A Christmas Movie
People fight about it every December like it is part of the holiday calendar. The debate is not about plot points as much as what counts as seasonal, and who gets to police the vibe. It never ends because the tradition is the fight itself.
A different kind of argument ends when authority, data, or basic reality finally outweighs the fun of being wrong. Here are ten arguments that were eventually put to rest.
1. Pluto’s Planet Status
This used to be a classic internet fight with passionate sides and dramatic headlines. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted on a definition of planet and reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet. People still get sentimental about it, yet the official status is not actually in limbo.
2. The Dress Was Both Blue-Black And White-Gold
People fought about this like it was a character flaw, even though the photo itself was the problem. The lighting and exposure confused the brain’s color-correction system, so different viewers made different assumptions about the light source and saw different colors. After enough visual scientists and major outlets broke down color constancy, the debate turned into a reference point instead of a live dispute.
3. The Moon Landing Happened
Internet skepticism had a long run fueled by grainy footage and conspiracy aesthetics. The evidence for the Apollo missions includes mission records, rock samples, independent tracking, and hardware still visible on the lunar surface through modern imaging. You can find denial threads anytime, yet history and science are not unsure.
4. The Earth Is Not Flat
Flat Earth content keeps circulating because it is sticky as a community, not because the claim has scientific legs. Basic observations, satellite data, and centuries of measurement settle this without drama. The only thing that remains is the social ecosystem around the belief.
5. No, NASA Did Not Change The Zodiac Signs
This rumor goes viral every few years, usually with a headline that makes it sound like everyone’s horoscope just got rewritten. What actually happened is that NASA discussed constellations and precession in an educational context, while astrology and its sign system are a separate tradition that does not update based on NASA statements. Once people see that distinction, the claim falls apart, even if the meme keeps circulating.
Art Institute of Chicago on Unsplash
6. Smoking Causes Lung Cancer
There was a time when this was argued aggressively in public, helped along by industry messaging. Decades of epidemiology and public health research established the causal link, and health agencies treat it as settled. The argument mostly survives now as denial content, not as a live scientific question.
7. Microwaves Do Not Make Food Radioactive
This one pops up constantly in comment sections, usually from a well-meaning person repeating a fear they heard once. Microwave ovens use non-ionizing radiation that heats water molecules and does not turn food into a radioactive substance. The confusion lives on, yet the physics is straightforward.
8. Cold Weather Does Not Cause Colds
People love saying you will catch a cold from going outside with wet hair. Colds are caused by viruses, and transmission depends on exposure, immunity, and behavior, not a chilly breeze. Cold air can affect comfort and habits, yet it does not magically generate the infection.
9. Cracking Knuckles Does Not Cause Arthritis
This argument survives because everyone knows someone who swears it is true. The best-known evidence includes long-term observation and at least one famously obsessive self-experiment, and it does not support a direct link to arthritis. You can still annoy everyone in the room, just not by giving yourself arthritis.
10. MSG Is Not A Unique Poison
MSG got wrapped in a mix of anxiety, rumor, and xenophobia, and the internet helped the fear travel fast. Food safety agencies and controlled studies have not supported the idea that MSG is uniquely harmful to the general population when consumed in typical amounts. Some people have sensitivities to many ingredients, yet MSG is not the villain it was made out to be.
