Extention cords, phone cords, computer cables - anything of this sort is terribly prone to get tangled up over time. Vital seconds must occasionally be spent untangling them. What causes this? Why don't cords stay straight? On close examination, I believe it will be found that these cords tangle counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern: that demon coriolis effect at work again.

However, once the reason is known a solution presents itself. Cords cannot be made rigid - some play is necessary. I propose all cords be devised so as to resist counterclockwise wrapping. This could be done by incorporating asymmetric coils in the insulation. Thus spontaneous coriolis tangling would be thwarted, but clockwise wrapping for transportation/ storage would be facilitated. Unless the cords were used in Australia, in which case the tangling would be much worse. But the greater good must prevail.
-- bungston, Oct 01 2003

Bad Coriolis http://www.ems.psu....ad/BadCoriolis.html
(Please rescue me from myself.) [Detly, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 06 2004]

Can you fix my spaghetti, too?
-- FarmerJohn, Oct 01 2003


How about a free exchange program, in which Northerners can trade their twisted cords for those of pen-pals down under?
-- phundug, Oct 01 2003


Cordstralia.....
-- skinflaps, Oct 01 2003


can you explain assymmetric coils please.
-- po, Oct 01 2003


/bungston forcefully waves hands/ They prevent coiling and tangling by virtue of the natural coil symmetry balance with in the coil structure! /waves hands even more forcefully/
-- bungston, Oct 01 2003


Wouldn't that be the cordiolis effect?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 01 2003


My mindless pedantry cannot walk on by (see link). Bread for you :)
-- Detly, Oct 01 2003


"Corliolis"? The Godfather of bad physics (or just a typo)?
-- half, Oct 02 2003


//can you explain assymmetric coils please// [po] like a normal coil but with only one shoulder strap.
-- nichpo, Oct 02 2003


shoulder strap? now I am confused.
-- po, Oct 02 2003


[Detly] thank you for the edifugation. When one ponders the nature of cords (not rotating), it seems to me that the C effect (not sure about those rs and ls) would be more likely to manifest here, where there is no fierce sink maelstrom to contend with.

[po]: I believe it is just a regular strap to hould your s.
-- bungston, Oct 02 2003


prob something to do with the facy that the inner wires are arranged spirally?
-- Avendra, Oct 02 2003


I wonder if the handednes of the spirally inner wires is reversed down under.
-- Worldgineer, Oct 02 2003


In Australia where sheep and kangaroos are the major life forms, anythings possible, Mate
-- Avendra, Oct 02 2003


[bungston] You have a point. The winding of cords *is* subtle and slow...

Maybe this would go some way to explaining why I always turn in my sleep. I think you should expand this idea into a range of Coriolis Countermeasures. :)
-- Detly, Oct 02 2003



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