“Let’s say this is the parent cord. Okay?” I wanted him to stop talking, and he’d do that sooner if I pretended to know nothing. “Now, picture a bunch of strings hanging from this arm, and each one of those strings has knots. Those strings can also have their own strings with their own knots, those are called subsidiary cords. Let me know if this is too boring.” “No, not at all. It’s super interesting.”
