This investigation has yielded results that would surely baffle even the great detective himself. The rubber duck, that humble bathroom sentinel, emerges victorious not through intellectual superiority but through something far more powerful: universal accessibility. Holmes demanded that his audience meet him on his terms—educated, patient, willing to follow labyrinthine reasoning. The duck makes no such demands.
In three of five criteria, the duck's simplicity proved its greatest asset. It maintains mystery by offering none of the answers Holmes compulsively provides. It achieves global recognition without requiring translation or cultural context. It delivers reliability that the mercurial detective could never match. Only in cultural impact—where Holmes's invention of an entire genre cannot be disputed—did intellect triumph over innocence.
The final score of 52-48 reflects the narrowness of this contest. Holmes's achievements are monumental but ultimately specialist; the duck's achievements are modest but universal. In the end, humanity's need for comfort slightly exceeds its need for answers.
