Top 10 Unbelievable Fun Facts About Paper: Discover the Secrets Behind this Everyday Wonder

1. Ts'ai Lun's Fashion-Forward Paper Invention

Once upon a Han Dynasty, when rags and textile waste were all the rage: Ts'ai Lun, a fashion-forward court official, invented paper in AD 105, using these trendy materials to produce fabulously insect-resistant and modishly surface-enhanced sheets with the help of dashing de-fibration techniques and charming fiber-yielding plants. This runway-worthy breakthrough propelled China to the height of civilization, but alas, governmental red tape and paperwork soon became the bane of papermakers.
Source => cepi.org

2. Mexican Fig Tree Bark Paper

Fig-uring it all out: Ancient Mexicans had a barking mad method of creating paper from fig tree bark, dating as far back as 75 CE! The serious reveal: This amate paper was used for communication, records, and rituals in the Triple Alliance Empire, producing over 480,000 sheets in Morelos state annually, given as gifts and used in religious ceremonies, but never treated like today's tax forms or currency.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know aloe was once the secret weapon against unwanted bottom troubles? Discover the fascinating story of Joseph Gayetty and his medicated toilet paper that left a lasting impact on bottom care!

=> Fun Facts about Toilet-Paper

3. Ancient Derriere Wiping Techniques

Before the days of Charmin and Cottonelle, those ancient derrieres required some truly crafty alternatives: Romans were known to use a sponge on a stick soaked in salt water or vinegar, while the ancient Greeks favored smoothed down broken pieces of ceramic pottery called Ostraca, and the early Chinese opted for a wooden stick with a cloth wrapped around the end.
Source => cottonelle.com

4. Paper's Recycling Limitations

Like a frayed pair of jeans on its last leg, paper fibers show some wear and tear too: the EPA states that paper can only be recycled 5-7 times before the fibers are too short and tattered for recovery, reminding us to reduce our paper obsession along with our demands for virgin pulp.
Source => grist.org

5. The Giant Paper Airplane

In an epic ode to the humble paper airplane, a German institute of technology took "folding under pressure" to new heights: students and employees of the Braunschweig Institute of Technology crafted a gargantuan 18.21-meter (59.74-feet) wingspan paper airplane, which soared 18 meters (59.05 feet) after launching from a 2.47-meter (8.10-feet) high platform!
Source => guinnessworldrecords.com

6. Rock Paper Scissors' Ribbeting Origins

In a curious evolutionary leap reminiscent of snakes hitching rides on tortoises, Rock Paper Scissors emerged from its deviant origins in a ribbeting game of Frog Slug Snake: From ancient China and Japan, this game now charms us with its classic hand gestures and unpredictable outcomes, even boasting professional leagues vying for cash prizes like a Monty Python skit come to life.
Source => popularmechanics.com

7. The Evolution of the Paper Bag

Who knew that the humble paper bag had an unfolding saga of innovation? Once upon a time, it was merely an envelope-shaped sidekick, barely able to stand on its own feet: That was until a crafty dame called Margaret Knight designed a machine to produce flat-bottomed, square-shaped bags in the late 1860s, swiftly followed by Charles Stilwell's enhancements in 1883—elevating the once feeble paper bag into the sturdy, stand-up shopping companion we know and love today.
Source => moma.org

8. Bic's Handwriting Domination

In a world where the "paperless society" prophecy has gone ballpoint-up, it seems that handwriting is still mightier than the byte: Bic, the premier pen pusher, sells a whopping 15 million ballpoint pens daily worldwide, including 216 million in Britain just last year.
Source => theguardian.com

9. Tang Dynasty's Flying Cash

In a time when swiping right meant skipping to the next merchant in line and online banking was a myth as elusive as the Tooth Fairy on a low-carb diet: enter "flying cash" – the Tang Dynasty's innovative paper money system in China, redeemable for metal cash and transferrable for convenience, turning medieval shopaholics into trendsetters on a global scale.
Source => silk-road.com

10. The Semen Invisible Ink Debacle

When life gives you lemons, make... invisible ink? Well, that is one possibility, but British spies during World War One had even more creative, if not wonderfully bizarre ideas in mind: It turns out, the British intelligence agency MI6 once considered using semen as an invisible ink for covert communication but eventually dropped the idea due to its unpleasant odor and impracticality, making lemon juice and red cabbage more appealing options after all.
Source => warhistoryonline.com