Disappearing Treads

Man brushes away a mosquito at a tire dump near Boston.

    All over the world, millions of tires grind against pavement. Their treads wear out. Rubber degenerates into particles.
    Nobody knows where these particles end up.
    One possible explanation, put forth by scientists, is that microorganisms eat the particles. But there’s no proof. That explanation is a hypothesis, not a theory.
    The disappearance of rubber matters little in the overall scheme of things. Most people could care less. Yet here I am, dwelling on this irrelevance. I do this because I am curious.
    Researchers don’t understand the purpose of curiosity. But they agree on one point. Increasing our knowledge, even of something mundane like tires, results in pleasure.