Understanding Exponential Growth with the Paper Folding Example

Hey,

I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share with you an example that helps explain exponential growth. This is the only thing that can actually describe the type of growth in AI that we are facing today.

Have you ever heard of the paper folding example?

The idea is simple: you take a single sheet of paper and fold it in half 50 times. The question is, how tall would the stack of paper be? The answer might surprise you. The stack would reach over 100 million kilometers, which is taller than the distance from the Earth to the Sun!

This is a great example of exponential growth, where small increases at the beginning can lead to massive results over time. In this case, each fold doubles the height of the stack, leading to an incredibly tall final result.

This idea can be used to explain a lot of things, from the growth of interest to the spread of a virus. It's important to remember that small changes can have a big impact in the long run, and that's why it's crucial to be aware of and plan for exponential growth.

In most cases, there is a tipping point after which growth goes bananas.

Let me know if you have any questions or if you want to chat more about this.

See you next time.

PS: You can also check this video that illustrates the example