A group of alien tourists was visiting Earth. Their guide was tasked with showing them the planet’s most interesting places.
Their first stop was New York. The aliens were fascinated by the skyscrapers, yellow cabs, and crowded streets.
One of the alien tourists said, “This planet is truly interesting. But what are these metal boxes for? They get inside and move quickly.”
The guide smiled. “Those are cars, used for transportation.”
“I see,” said the alien. “And why are these people constantly looking at these small, shiny rectangles?”
The guide sighed. “Those are phones. They are used for communication and getting information.”
After looking around for a while longer, the alien tourists turned to their guide. “Alright, guide,” said their leader. “Now show us the strangest thing on Earth. The most illogical, the most inexplicable thing.”
The guide thought. Human wars, politics, fashion sense… There were many options. But what was the strangest?
Finally, the guide took the aliens to a shopping mall. The aliens looked at the shop windows, the stores, and the rushing people.
“So, guide,” said the alien leader. “Where is the strangest thing? We can’t see it.”
The guide pointed to a sports store in the middle of the shopping mall. Inside the store, a group of people were standing on treadmills. The treadmills were moving, but the people were staying in place, not going anywhere.
“There it is,” said the guide. “The strangest thing on Earth.”
The aliens looked on in bewilderment. “What are they doing? Where are they going?”
The guide shrugged. “They’re not going anywhere. They’re just running. We call it ‘exercise.’“