One slice or two? Toaster question

[Vesicant]

Doesn’t anybody use a search engine anymore?

https://www.straightdope.com/21341939/what-happens-if-i-don-t-put-my-one-slice-of-bread-in-the-toaster-s-one-slice-slot

https://www.straightdope.com/21341942/why-do-toasters-have-a-one-slice-slot

Why Does the Toaster Care?

I have a standard two-slice toaster, but when I want to make one slice of toast it has a nice little diagram telling which slot to put it in. Why does the toaster care which side I put my single slice of bread?

Does it really matter which side of the toaster you use?

If you want to cook just one piece of toast (or a Pop-Tart et al.)? My toaster just like most of yours has a little icon showing where the single piece should go. How does the toaster “know” that that side is the one you’re going to use, much less whether you’ll actually use both sides, which supposedly cooks both equally.

https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/1998/mar/26/when-toasting-single-piece-bread-why-does-it-matte/