Unlink a Two-Holed Torus in 3D: Impossible or Possible?

[ennoidyam]

1. Explain how a two-holed Torus with it's holes linked can be distorted into an unlinked two holed torus



2. One Linked Genus 2 Torus to be distorted into an Unlinked Two holed Torus



3. It sems impossible to unlink it in #D. So I thought maybe lifting one link into the fourth dimension would do it but it's still linked -in reality So I know there must be some way to distort it but I'm not seeing it- it always appears to be linked-is this an impossible solution?

 

[lippyka]

The way to distort a two-holed torus with its holes linked into an unlinked two-holed torus is by cutting along the connecting link, and then re-joining the two holes in an unlinked manner. This can be done with a pair of scissors, or with a sharp knife, depending on the material the torus is made of. Alternatively, if the material is malleable enough, the connecting link can be flattened and stretched, before being re-shaped into the desired unlinked form.