I was fascinated the other day with your episode showing the 7-fold paper myth.
Although this is not what you could call a myth, I have another interesting thing
that you can do with an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper and a pair of scissors.
This trick won me countless lunches and quite a few hand fulls of cash during my school days.
It is possible to cut a hole in a standard 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper that is large
enough to walk through with the paper still in one piece and with no loose ends.
If you are steady and patient enough with the scissors, the hole can be made large enough to drive a car through!

Materials: One sheet of 8.5 x 11 inch paper and a pair of scissors

To make the process more fun, find a person or people willing to bet their hard earned money that you won’t be able to do it.

1. Fold the piece of paper in half-length wise.
2. Begin cutting the paper near one of the ends from the folded edge toward the open edges
and stop the cut approximately ¼ inch or less from the open edges. Do NOT cut completely
across the folded page. Remember, the paper must stay in one piece with no loose ends.
3. Make many cuts across the paper in the same manner spaced about ¼ inch apart working
your way from one end of the folded page to the other end cutting from the fold toward the open edges.
4. When these cuts have been made, turn the paper around and begin cutting from the open edges
toward the folded edge of the paper directly between the cuts you just made from the folded side. Do NOT cut between the very end cuts at the top and bottom of the paper but DO cut between all the other cuts you have made in the paper. The same rule applies for these cuts. Do NOT cut completely across and stop approximately ¼ inch before you reach the folded crease.
5. When you have made a cut between all the previous cuts from the other side, except for the end cuts, very carefully unfold the paper and lay it out flat.

* NOTE: At this point you will notice that this is likely the same thing that you used to do in grade school to make a paper chain like structure.*

6. Make the final cuts right along the crease where the paper was folded EXCEPT for the very ends at the top and bottom of the page. Once you have made all the crease cuts except for the two ends, the paper will still be in one piece with NO loose ends.
7. Pick up the top or bottom edge of the paper. Hold it up above your head and step through the hole!
8. Collect your winnings and enjoy the expressions of surprise and disbelief.

Obvious Hint: The more cuts you can successfully make in the paper without tearing or breaking, the larger the hole you can make in the paper. With a little practice and patience, a car-sized hole is very achievable.

Keep up the great work!
Randy Kopisch
Oklahoma City

I just tried this with ordinary printer paper and some not-very-good scissors -- and I was able to spread out the resulting "hole" (a flexible, continuous ribbon of paper) to a 2x12 foot area on the floor. Makes me wonder what's possible with better paper and sharp scissors!

Don't count on this to cover your bar tab, though, folks. It takes a steady hand and single vision.

Thanks, bioguy!