After existing quietly for over two decades on a Roscoe Village sidewalk in Chicago, a rodent-shaped indent became an internet sensation in 2024, when a tweet by comedian and writer, Winslow Dumaine, brought it into the public eye. The impression became known as the "Chicago Rat Hole" or "Splatatouille." In addition to offerings of coins, flowers, and other small items, the so-called rat role received the attention of some scientists, who were skeptical of the presumed origins of the impression.