[_ Old Earth _] Another Scientific Breakthrough...

[Barbarian]

Mathematical equation solves mystery of socks lost in laundry

No, this is serious. Someone has actually done it:

The algebraic equation is (L (p x f) + C (t x s) ) - (P x A), and the higher the figure, the greater the likelihood of losing socks where:

L = Laundry size, calculated by multiplying the number of people in the household (p) by the frequency of washes in a week (f);

C = Complexity of washing, calculated by multiplying the number of different types of darks and whites washes households do in a week (t) by the number of socks washed in a week (s);

P = Positivity towards doing the laundry, measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being a ‘strong dislike’ and 5 ‘strong enjoyment’;

Folding laundry is one of the most frustrating household tasks. Now, new inventions and services are popping up to fold people’s clothing just so.

And A = Attention paid, measured as the total number of precautions taken at the start of each wash out of checking pockets, unrolling sleeves, turning clothes the right way around and unrolling socks.

The study revealed that coloured socks are more than three times more likely to go missing than any other type like white, stripy or spotty socks.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ma...n-laundry-2016-06-10?mod=MW_story_top_stories

I'd say these guys have an Ig Noble Award sewn up.
http://www.improbable.com/ig/

 

[Sinthesis]

The study revealed that coloured socks are more than three times more likely to go missing than any other type like white, stripy or spotty socks.

Racist? Ig Nobel indeed!

 

[Barbarian]

coloured socks are more than three times more likely to go missing than any other type like white

Racist? Ig Nobel indeed!

There's some argument about that. Some people say the sock police just stop colored socks more often,and others say that colored socks are just more prone to crime than white socks.

 

[Hyla C]

They've revised the Laundry Tax Code? The old formula was (HT/v) x (s/p), where:

• H is how ravenous your washer/drier is
• T is the mean tastiness of your laundry
• v is the coefficient of variance for the number of flavours of socks in your load and
  
• s/p is the single sock to paired sock ratio of your sock drawer.

Since s/p approaches infinity as p approaches zero it is virtually guaranteed that if you have only one matching pair of socks remaining the washer will consume one of them.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

They've revised the Laundry Tax Code? The old formula was (HT/v) x (s/p), where:

• H is how ravenous your washer/drier is
• T is the mean tastiness of your laundry
• v is the coefficient of variance for the number of flavours of socks in your load and
  
• s/p is the single sock to paired sock ratio of your sock drawer.

Since s/p approaches infinity as p approaches zero it is virtually guaranteed that if you have only one matching pair of socks remaining the washer will consume one of them.

Now I find this interesting.
I always thought they were fugitives.
Has anyone put this alternative into their calculations?