I knew there must be a good reason why earbud cords are perpetually tangled. Now this article at Slate explains why.

The research shows that your earphones are indeed spontaneously knotting themselves. Sure, it’s because of their length and the agitation of the container they’re in. But the knots really do form as a matter of physics, not because of your personal lack of neatness.

Photo by Robert S. Donovan.