I spend almost zero time in life intentionally randomly knotting and tangling up cords and wires, but an awful lot of time un-tangling.
I have often wondered, but never tested, the theory that simply taking the time to store the wires in an orderly and restrained way every time, will save time versus untangling every time. I do know that it would be less frustrating, but am unsure why storing cords in an orderly way is less frustrating than untangling cords.
Note: this particularly hairy knot is the result of my forgetting the headphones in my pocket, and running them through the washing machine.
Knot theory is one of the more interesting branches of mathematics. Knots can apparently engender one of the most complex states in nature.
I’d love to take a picture of my tangled-up headphone wires over a period of months to study whether there is any consistency to the intertwining of the cord.