Why do headphones always tangle?Entropy explains the inevitable mess in your pocket

Science Around You

From the show

Science Around You

Discover the physics of spontaneous knotting that plagues cords and cables. When a wire is shaken in a confined space, it explores thousands of configurations, almost all of which are knotted. This look into entropy reveals why stiffness and length are the only defenses against the universe's tendency toward chaos.

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