4 ms·

Log2 ( (distance to moon) / (thickness of paper) )

12 points by erikstarck 16y ago

erikstarck 16y ago
...in other words: fold a paper 42 times and you reach the moon.
- rajasharan 16y ago
  but you can't fold a paper more than 8 times
  - wglb 16y ago
    Not quite true: http://sichantalpo.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/folding-paper-in-half-12-times-the-impossible-challenge-solved/ http://sichantalpo.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/folding-paper-in...
- jameskilton 16y ago
  And only 8 more folds to reach the sun! http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28distance+to+sun%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28distance+to... Ain't exponentiality awesome?
  - olalonde 16y ago
    And only 41.46 more folds to reach the size of the observable universe! :) http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28size+of+universe%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28size+of+uni...
- theboos 16y ago
  ... requiring about 4 trillion sheets: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthickness+of+paper http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthic... ... or 2.586 trillion square feet of paper: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthickness+of+paper*area+of+letter+paper http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthic... ... with a minimum price of $16 billion dollars, not including shipping and handling into space: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2+dollars+per+ream+*+1+sheet+*+distance+to+moon%2Fthickness+of+paper http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2+dollars+per+ream+*+1+..., http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/382045718/bulk_paper.html http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/382045718/bulk_paper.html
magicseth 16y ago
This makes me wish wolfram alpha were social. I'd love to be able to have a conversation about interesting formula and results.
- iKristinW 16y ago
  That's a great idea. You can share interesting results with @WolframFunFacts.
norvig 16y ago
Oh come on ... the right question is http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceil%28log2+%28+%28distance+to+moon%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceil%28log2+%28+%28dist... , to which the answer is of course: 42
mvanveen 16y ago
Ftfy: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceiling+of+log2+%28+%28distance+to+moon%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceiling+of+log2+%28+%28...
faitswulff 16y ago
What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything...?

12 points by erikstarck 16y ago

erikstarck 16y ago

...in other words: fold a paper 42 times and you reach the moon.

rajasharan 16y ago
but you can't fold a paper more than 8 times
- wglb 16y ago
  Not quite true: http://sichantalpo.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/folding-paper-in-half-12-times-the-impossible-challenge-solved/ http://sichantalpo.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/folding-paper-in...
jameskilton 16y ago
And only 8 more folds to reach the sun! http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28distance+to+sun%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28distance+to... Ain't exponentiality awesome?
- olalonde 16y ago
  And only 41.46 more folds to reach the size of the observable universe! :) http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28size+of+universe%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=log2+%28+%28size+of+uni...
theboos 16y ago
... requiring about 4 trillion sheets: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthickness+of+paper http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthic... ... or 2.586 trillion square feet of paper: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthickness+of+paper*area+of+letter+paper http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+to+moon%2Fthic... ... with a minimum price of $16 billion dollars, not including shipping and handling into space: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2+dollars+per+ream+*+1+sheet+*+distance+to+moon%2Fthickness+of+paper http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=2+dollars+per+ream+*+1+..., http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/382045718/bulk_paper.html http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/382045718/bulk_paper.html

magicseth 16y ago

This makes me wish wolfram alpha were social. I'd love to be able to have a conversation about interesting formula and results.

iKristinW 16y ago
That's a great idea. You can share interesting results with @WolframFunFacts.

norvig 16y ago

Oh come on ... the right question is http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceil%28log2+%28+%28distance+to+moon%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceil%28log2+%28+%28dist... , to which the answer is of course: 42

mvanveen 16y ago

Ftfy: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceiling+of+log2+%28+%28distance+to+moon%29+%2F+%28thickness+of+paper%29+%29 http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=ceiling+of+log2+%28+%28...

faitswulff 16y ago

What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything...?