ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Casson handle

Okay kiddo, listen up! A Casson handle is like adding a handle to a clay jar. You know how you can hold a jar with your hand if it has a handle? Well, a Casson handle is a special kind of handle that you can add to a certain type of shape called a 3D manifold.

A 3D manifold is like a weird shaped ball that's made up of lots of different little balls stuck together. Imagine a rubber ball covered in smaller rubber balls of different sizes. Some of these little balls are connected by tunnels that run through the big rubber ball.

Now, sometimes you might want to change the shape of the 3D manifold by adding or taking away some of these tunnels. And that's where Casson handles come in! A Casson handle is a special way of adding a tunnel to a 3D manifold, kind of like how you can add a straw to a drink to make it easier to sip.

Adding a Casson handle can change the way the whole 3D manifold is shaped and how it behaves, kind of like how adding a handle to a jar changes the way you hold it and use it. Scientists and mathematicians like to study Casson handles because they can create really interesting shapes and patterns that we can learn from.

So basically, a Casson handle is like a handle that you can add to a special kind of shape called a 3D manifold to change the way it looks and behaves. Cool, huh?