There's not much to it: Folding paper. So what's the big deal with folding a piece of paper in half umpteen times? It's a very big deal, apparently. Don't believe me? Try it.
In the video though, it's hard to tell how well the team actually accomplished the 13th fold. As I watch the video, I can't help thinking, "How hard can it be?" To find out, I folded a piece of printer paper. It didn't go so well...
This time, I was able to get to nine folds, though you can see by the seventh fold, I had to hold the paper down to maintain the fold.
After that little experiment, it's much easier for me to understand why 13 folds is such a big deal.
Though paper is quite slim - the average slice of printer paper is but 0.1 mm thick - its thickness adds up quickly when folded. Each time a piece of paper is folded in half, its height doubles. By the time paper has been folded 12 times (the previous record), it is 16 inches tall. Double that height by folding it once more (a thirteenth time) and it will be two and a half feet tall.
James Tanton, the students' teacher, said they will try for 13 folds again next year using 24,000 ft. of toilet paper in the hopes of creating a fold that can stand on its own.
All I can think now is that if I had 24,000 ft. of toilet paper, I would never have to go shopping for it again.