Why do clothes driers eat socks?

O.K. kids, it’s science time. As I’m sure has happened to many of you, I have noticed that the clothes drier has eaten two (not of the same pair) socks of mine in the past week. They are not on the floor, they are not in the washer, I tried the basket and they’re not there either. This has happened to me many times in my long life. Why does he/she eat them and where do they go?