But gravitational strings have no sticky ends and can wander freely off into Dr Arkani-Hamed's extra dimensions, where they have no effect on matter stuck to the membranes of the observable universe.
Amazingly, a large number seem ready to put the blame on themselves, and, as if to show that they bear the retail trade no hard feelings, they wander off peacefully down the road to do their shopping at a nearby Tesco instead.