How to Make an Object of Infinite Length

This may seem unusual but let me assure you that what I am going to show you is in theory possible but equally, it is also in theory, not possible. Do you think that you can turn an A3, A4 or any size for that matter, piece of paper into the largest object in the world?

It's one of those things that can be done yet, no - one can do it. In theory you should be able to do it with your bare hands nothing more.

Here's how:

• The thickness of a piece of paper on average is around 0.01 cm thick; let's take an A4 piece of paper for example.
• Firstly, as you may or may not know, a piece of paper cannot be halved more than 7 times, it's a mathematical fact that which cannot be argued against, try if you don't believe me!
• I'm sure that you'll agree when I say that a piece of paper will double in thickness if you fold it in half, hopefully that's pretty obvious
• So lets first consider how large a piece of paper would be if you folded it in half 10 times

0.01x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2x2 = 10.24cm (try it on a calculator if you need reassurance)

• I'm sure you'll agree - not too thick!
• What about folding the paper 20 times

Well, then it would be a massive 104 metres thick. If you need convincing though, remember that the thickness keeps on doubling so if you did 10.24 x 2 that would be equal to 11 folds not 20.

• So, let's try 30 folds, oh and remember that there are 1000m in one km
• 30 folds = thickness of 107km (Birmingham to Oxford)
• 40 folds = thickness of 68,719 miles (Around the equator 3 times!) (1.6km = 1 mile)
• 50 folds = a massive thickness of 70,369,744 miles (This Sun is 92 million miles away)
• Ready to go interplanetary! 60 folds = an unbelievable thickness of 72 billion miles, regardless of what anyone says, that's a long way to walk!

72 billion miles is the distance to the Sun and back 387 times.

• If you fold a piece of paper 66 times that's one light year!
• A light year is how far a beam of light travels in one year!
• All from one piece of A4 paper imagine if someone could fold a piece of paper more than 7 times!

Use your imagination!