How many times do you think you'd have to fold a piece of paper to get to the Moon?

Squeaky the Squirrel · 22-01-2013 12:49am #1

Guess?
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im invisible · 22-01-2013 12:56am

none, just stand it on its edge...

Cookie_Monster · 22-01-2013 1:44am

how big a piece of paper?

im invisible · 22-01-2013 2:24am

a BIG piece of paper, like a page out of a newspaper...

nozzferrahhtoo · 22-01-2013 7:42am

This is one of those great questions that I use to demonstrate to people their failures of intuition when it comes to very large or very small numbers. It usually comes up in theism debates when the theist says that the god concept "makes sense" to them and science does not. I usually point out that quite often... especially in science... what is true often makes no sense and what is false often makes loads.

I usually ask them how long they think a piece of paper would stand if you folded it 100 times. As you can see from the OP the answer is so large that it would take light itself millennia to traverse its length. Yet the biggest answer I ever got from anyone when I asked was "A bit taller than this pub".

Another one that will fry the noodle of the average punter in a pub... aside from the Monty Hall problem which gets them every time and I have seen people nearly come to blows over it.... is to ask them what the probability is that in a room with 23 random people in it.... that any two people in that room will share a birthday (day and month not year). The answer of 50% is not one they cope well with generally.

Capt'n Midnight · 22-01-2013 9:13am

how long would that piece of paper be if you could fold it that many times ?

nozzferrahhtoo · 23-01-2013 7:41am

That would entirely depend on the thickness of the original sheet

Poulgorm · 25-01-2013 10:49pm

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

what the probability is that in a room with 23 random people in it.... that any two people in that room will share a birthday (day and month not year). The answer of 50% is not one they cope well with generally.

Can't get my head around that. Could you explain it?

Capt'n Midnight · 26-01-2013 2:02am

Poulgorm wrote: »

Can't get my head around that. Could you explain it?

google birthday paradox

each person has a 22 in 365 chance of having a birthday with someone else (sorta)

nozzferrahhtoo · 26-01-2013 12:36pm

Thanks, it is best you check it on the net as I would likely just copy and paste the explanation anyway due to my inherent lazyness. Here is the wiki link on the subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthday_problem

The monty Hall problem is a good one to screw with peoples heads too, but much easier to understand once you "get it".

How many times do you think you'd have to fold a piece of paper to get to the Moon?

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