As a paper folding expert, I've had the pleasure of delving into the fascinating world of origami and the limits of folding paper. The question of how many times one can fold a piece of paper in half is a common one, and it's been tackled by various means, including the popular television show "Mythbusters."

The myth that a piece of paper can only be folded in half a maximum of seven or eight times is indeed a widespread belief. However, as with many myths, the truth is a bit more nuanced. The number of times a piece of paper can be folded depends on a variety of factors, including the size and thickness of the paper, as well as the method of folding.

The "Mythbusters" experiment aimed to put this myth to the test by creating a massive sheet of paper, measuring approximately the length of a football field. This approach was logical because the larger the piece of paper, the more times it can theoretically be folded in half due to the exponential increase in surface area with each fold.

However, there are physical limitations to consider. Each time a paper is folded, its area is halved, but its thickness doubles. This means that after a certain number of folds, the paper becomes too thick to fold easily, and the forces required to bend it increase exponentially. This phenomenon is sometimes referred to as the "powers of two" problem, where the number of folds required to reach a certain thickness is 2 raised to the power of the number of folds.

In practice, the record for folding a standard sheet of paper is significantly less than what the Mythbusters attempted. The current world record, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, stands at 13 folds for a single piece of paper, achieved by Britney Gallivan in 2002. Britney also discovered a mathematical approach to folding paper, which involves starting with a very large sheet and folding it in such a way that the number of folds is maximized.

The Mythbusters' experiment, while entertaining and educational, faced the practical limits of folding a paper of such immense size. The logistics of handling such a large sheet, not to mention the physical exertion required to fold it, made the task extremely challenging. The show concluded that while it is theoretically possible to fold a piece of paper more than seven or eight times, in practice, the record stands much lower due to the increasing difficulty and thickness with each fold.

In conclusion, the myth that a piece of paper can only be folded seven or eight times is debunked, but the practical limits are much lower than what one might initially think. The "Mythbusters" experiment was a bold attempt to push the boundaries of this myth, but the record set by Britney Gallivan provides a more realistic benchmark for the number of times a standard sheet of paper can be folded in half.

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A popular myth exists that one can only fold a single piece of paper in half, seven, maybe eight times at most. To squelch this popular myth, the folks over at Mythbusters did what any --rational-- person might attempt; they produced an enormous sheet of paper, something roughly the size of a football field.Aug 6, 2015read more >>