Folding Paper 13 Times - New World Record with Toilet Paper
News News blog
For a long time, it was assumed that a sheet of paper could be folded a maximum of 7 times. No matter how large the paper, after the seventh fold, it seemed to be the end. However, students from St. Mark's School in Massachusetts, USA, have now proven that more is possible. With a 16-kilometer-long toilet paper strip, they managed to fold the paper a total of 13 times, setting a new world record.
Student Mathematically Disproved the Folding Myth
Back in 2002, Californian student Britney Gallivan mathematically proved that it is theoretically possible to fold paper more than 7 times. She also supported her theory in practice by folding a toilet paper strip 12 times. Since then, teams from St. Mark's School have repeatedly tried to break this record - initially without success.
16 Kilometers of Toilet Paper for the 13th Fold
Under the guidance of their teachers, 17 students have now succeeded in producing a toilet paper strip 16 kilometers long. They joined toilet paper rolls without perforation together. In the "infinite corridor" of MIT, which offers 251 meters of length, they then began folding.
After 12 folds, the paper measured just under 3.5 meters. Then came the decisive step: a 13th fold. The paper was compressed to a length of about 1.5 meters and remained standing as an 80-centimeter-high colossus. The record was broken, and an entry into the Guinness Book of Records was requested.
Exponential Growth Makes Limit Theoretically Unnecessary
The fact that paper can theoretically be folded any number of times is due to the exponential growth of the fold thickness. Each fold doubles the thickness of the folded paper. While you quickly reach limits with normal paper, the low thickness of toilet paper offers more room to maneuver.
Mathematically, there is no limit. If a paper could be folded 103 times, the stack would exceed the known universe. However, this is practically impossible due to the required paper length. The toilet paper record of St. Mark's School with 13 folds is therefore likely to stand for a while.
