-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at
classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctalk-bounces at
classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Tony Duell
Sent: 07 December 2012 21:37
To: cctalk at
classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Fan Fold paper tape
I do find untangling knots in yarn to be
relaxing, though.
It's pretty
satisfying to solve a particularly nasty one.
I'll never understand
how those knots form in the middle of a very regularly-wound ball.
I have never understood how calbes seem to defy the laws of
topology and
tie themselves into knots. But prectical experience shows
that and set
of calbes left lying around will knot themselves together in a
ridiculously complicated way.
A topologist recently told me that "tangled" was the normal state. She said
the reason was there was basically only one topological conformation that
was "untangled", and many that were "tangled" so any tanglabale object
will
tend to be in a tangled state.