Cords That Tangle Themselves

It sometimes feels as if there's a nefarious mind at work tangling cords, hoses and cables when we're not looking. Research suggests that tangling occurs because when jostled, there are many more possible tangled states than untangled ones. The longer the cord, the greater the chance of tangling. It's almost as if the default state of things is to be tangled, not untangled.