Debunked Myths

This myth feels intuitively true when trying with notebook paper, which becomes impossibly thick after six or seven folds. However, the limitation isn't a law of physics but one of scale and material. The challenge is exponential: each fold doubles the layers and halves the surface area. By the 7th fold, you're bending 128 layers.

In 2002, high school student Britney Gallivan famously debunked the myth by deriving the mathematical equations for paper folding and using a massive roll of toilet paper to achieve 12 folds. Later, a MIT team used a sheet the size of a football field to reach 11 folds. The key is having paper that's both large enough and thin enough to overcome the exponential growth.

The myth's power comes from our everyday experience with standard paper, making exponential growth feel like an impassable wall. It's a perfect demonstration of how practical limitations in our immediate environment can be mistaken for fundamental physical laws. With enough paper and determination, you can keep folding—a lesson in challenging common assumptions.