The Laws of Nature

The New Scientist Feedback section, 25 Feb. 2006, has a reference to the problem of disappearing teaspoons, including the half-life of teaspoon populations and theory by Adams, D et al about the eventual destination of the 'lost spoons'. The "odd sock phenomenon" was mentioned and the possibility of a link between the two based on the quantum equivalence of socks and spoons.

I was reminded of a Jules Feiffer cartoon, in the Observer I think.
A woman puts a load of clothes in the washing machine. After taking out the clean washing she finds that a sock is missing.
Life!
The process of washing clothes is repeated and the number of socks decreases by one between the start and the end, yet again.

The woman, obviously a science graduate, tries a wash where the number of socks is reduced to just one.

At the end of the washing cycle the machine is opened and the washing taken out.
The single sock is missing. In addition there is a soggy piece of paper bearing the following message,

"Quit f***ing with the laws of nature and give the machine more socks!"