Spontaneous knots and the law of snaggature
DOI: 10.1063/1.2911163
What a pleasure to read the brief story on how string spontaneously forms knots (Physics Today, November 2007, page 19 ). The report immediately called to mind my late father, Paul S. Cohen, from the College of New Jersey’s chemistry department. He formulated—only half in jest—what he termed the “law of snaggature,” which states that everything in the universe spontaneously snags everything else, including electrical cords, ropes, string, cables, threads, hoses, and any other long, narrow, flexible objects. While he was confined to his hospital bed during his last days three years ago, he even joked about snaggature concerning his IV tubes.
How I wish I could show him this article. I know he would be immensely pleased to find out he was right.
More about the Authors
Stephen Cohen. (drstevecohen@earthlink.net) Horiba Jovin Yvon, Edison, New Jersey, US .
