‘Leaning Tower of Dallas’ still hanging on

A failed demolition led to a social media sensation in Dallas. After the former Affiliated Computer Services building survived blasts intended to destroy it on Feb. 16, the 11-story structure became known online as the “Leaning Tower of Dallas.”

Why didn’t it fall? The demolition company said some of the explosives didn’t go off. On Monday, people gathered to watch a second attempt, but the building proved resilient. The company resorted to a wrecking ball and is now saying it could take several days to tear down the tough little building. By Thursday, more than 1,500 people had signed an online petition to “save this landmark from destruction” and turn it into a UNESCO World Heritage Site like another famous tilting tower. “You wouldn’t tear down the Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Great Pyramids of Giza and replace them with condos, would you?” the petition asks. “If anything, do it for the memes.”

Dig deeper: Read about how engineers kept the Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapsing by removing dirt from under its northern side. The Dallas version of the tower probably won’t get the same treatment.