We’ve all had this occur multiple times in our lives: we do the laundry, one sock from the pair goes missing. We check the washer and the dryer, it’s nowhere to be found. It happens often enough to be a running cultural, universal joke. But it makes no sense. How does it happen?
In: Planetary Science
It’s basic physics: The tumbling of the dryer drum, heat, gravity, the weight of the damp clothes all work to create a a surge of electromagnetism that creates a micro-singularity (aka a small black hole). These micro-singularities have only enough energy to last a few nanoseconds, but in that short period of existence, manage to often suck smaller bits of matter into them. Socks, having a relatively lighter mass and size, are often the easiest targets of this phenomenon. But it’s not unheard of to have reports of underwear, washcloths, sticks of chewing gum, and other things to be drawn into the tiny black holes. Aside from an object going missing, another sign of the phenomenon is an excess of purple fuzz trapped in the lint filter.
These micro-singularities can often be prevented by the use of a dryer sheet, or one of those anti-static balls you see advertised in the backs of certain “outdoorsy” periodicals.
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