NPR

Untangling The Mystery Of Why Shoelaces Come Untied

Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have figured out why shoelaces seem to come untied at the worst moments, like when you're running.
The laces on the left are tied in a strong knot that lies horizontally. The laces on the right are tied in a knot that makes the bow lie vertically and which, according to new research, can come untied more easily.

For more than 40 years, Oliver O'Reilly's shoelaces have been coming untied pretty much every day. And for most of those 40 years O'Reilly didn't think too much about it.

But then, about a decade ago, his daughter Anna was learning to tie her shoes, and O'Reilly decided his shoelace problem wasn't worth passing on to another generation.

"I didn't want her to inherit my

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