In an effort to think about something other than Covid-19, as I was taking socks out of the dryer the other day, the following problem crossed my mind. Suppose that we have n pairs of socks, and that individual socks are removed from the dryer according to a random permutation of the 2n socks. At any given time during this process, some number of socks will be unmatched (i.e. one of the pair is out of the dryer and the other is still in). In the unlikely event that no socks have been lost, what is the typical maximum number of unmatched socks when n is large? I solved this first with a system of differential equations, by thinking about each pair as having a state of 0, 1, or 2 socks removed so far. These three classes of pairs can be thought of as susceptible, infected, and recovered… oh wait. Then I found a much simpler solution. Best, Cris Moore moore@santafe.edu In the forgetting of what has scarcely transpired there resonates the fury of one who must first talk himself out of what everyone knows, before he can then talk others out of it as well. — Theodor Adorno