"Science: Why Shoelace Knot Failure"

Question

by Nsikan Akpan

No matter how tight you tug, it feels like some shoelaces are doomed to come untied.

Fret no longer, as new research from the University of California, Berkeley, has figured out the physics behind why the knots fail and why some shoelaces are more prone to the mistake.

While the poetic inevitability of the slipup may provide comfort to those afflicted by wayward shoelaces, the research published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London A may also provide clues for building soft, lifelike robots.

Mechanical engineer Oliver O’Reilly began looking into this telltale problem three years ago, after trying to teach his young daughter to tie her shoes.

A photo shows a person tying their sneakers.
Source: BestPhotoPlus. Shutterstock

1 of 5
Question
Use the passage to answer the question.

Drag each sentence into the correct order to accurately summarize the text.

(2 points)
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Answer 1

1. New research from the University of California, Berkeley, has figured out the physics behind why shoelaces fail and why some are more prone to coming untied.
2. Mechanical engineer Oliver O’Reilly began this investigation after trying to teach his daughter to tie her shoes.
3. The research could potentially provide insights for building soft, lifelike robots.
4. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London A.
5. This research brings a sense of understanding to those frustrated by untied shoelaces.