Why does paper fold so well?

Why does paper fold so well?

Author: BBC World Service June 12, 2026 Duration: 26:29

CrowdScience listener Haruka has been making origami cranes out of paper since she was a child. Creating one out of a cloth napkin, however, was a next-level challenge. It gave her a new appreciation of paper’s excellent foldability, and made her wonder: what is it about paper’s structure that means it remembers its creases? We set out to unfold her question as we peer into paper’s secrets. First stop: Frogmore, the world’s first mechanised paper mill. Here, Dr Steven Mann is on hand to explain the papermaking process, the chemistry of paper, and why that makes for a foldable sheet.

Host Caroline Steel tries to make a paper crane, assisted by both listener Haruka and origami teacher Toshiko Kurata, who also introduces us to an array of paper types. Each type folds differently, and, with the help of a trusty microscope, Professor Bill Sampson from the University of Manchester reveals why.

Finally, we see just how complex paper folding can get, meeting Professor Tomohiro Tachi from the University of Tokyo, and his invention, The Origamizer. Presenter: Caroline Steel

Producer: Cathy Edwards

Editor: Ben Motley

(Photo: Toshiko Kurata and Caroline Steel with origami creations - Credit:BBC)


Curiosity drives discovery, and CrowdScience from the BBC World Service is built entirely on that principle. Each episode begins not with a scripted lesson, but with a question sent in by a listener from anywhere in the world. These aren't simple queries with easy answers; they are the wonderfully complex, often quirky puzzles about everyday phenomena and cosmic mysteries that make us all stop and wonder. What does silence sound like? Could we ever photosynthesize like plants? How does a crowd's mood physically spread? The team then embarks on a genuine investigative journey, tracking down the specialists at the very edge of our understanding-neuroscientists, ecologists, physicists, and engineers-to piece together credible, compelling answers. Listening to this podcast feels like having a direct line to the labs and field sites where knowledge is being created. The conversations are deep yet accessible, transforming abstract concepts into relatable stories. It’s a collective exploration where listener curiosity sets the agenda, making each episode a unique and democratic look at the machinery of our world and beyond. You become part of a global community pondering life, Earth, and the universe, one thoughtful question at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

CrowdScience
Podcast Episodes
How many dead people are on the internet? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:07
CrowdScience listener Devin in Canada has just had a baby. Worried that all the good email addresses might be taken by the time his child needs one, he has already set up an account. But it got him wondering: how many em…
Can my veggie sausages save the world? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
CrowdScience listener Lisa, who is from South Africa but now lives in the UK, has been a vegetarian for many years. Sometimes though, she still finds herself craving meats – like spaghetti bolognese or a burger. To satis…
Why do I love rollercoasters? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:09
Your heart pounds, your chest tightens, your stomach drops and your legs feel weak and shaky. Your palms are sweating and a tingling rush spreads through your arms and fingertips as your brain is overwhelmed with feeling…
How do electric fish make electricity? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Some fish can deliver electric shocks with four times the voltage of the electricity in your plug sockets at home . Crowdscience listener Mouhammed in Cameroon was stunned by this, so he charged us with finding out how t…
Why am I warm blooded? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
CrowdScience listener Matt wants to know why he's warm blooded. He started thinking about this when he was watching some ants during the recent heatwave in Europe and wondered why their blood didn't boil. What are the pr…
Why can't I concentrate? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Why is it hard to concentrate, and why does it feel like such hard work? The CrowdScience inbox is full of questions like that, so for this show we’re concentrating on concentration and focusing on how we focus. We’ll be…
Why is TB still killing people? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:29
Tuberculosis kills more than a million people every year. It’s the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. This is despite the fact that we've had a cure for TB since the 1940s and a vaccine that’s…
Will I get hit by a meteor? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
Stare up at the night sky, and if you’re lucky, you might see a shooting star. Some people might make a wish, but CrowdScience listener Scott in California in the USA, thinks differently. He’s wondering how dangerous the…
Is anything truly random? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:09
We’re delving into the CrowdScience archive to give you another chance to hear an award-winning show from 2025. CrowdScience listener Dorit has a problem. She wants the tiles in her new bathroom to be arranged randomly b…
Are there diseases in space? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:28
Space missions are searching for evidence of extra-terrestrial life. CrowdScience listener George in Kenya wants to know what could be up there, and if there’s a risk it could harm humanity. With rovers currently analysi…