Math Facts That'll Make You Say "Wait, What?" #3

Math is weird—in the best possible way. It's full of surprises that have nothing to do with tests or worksheets.

Here are some facts to share with your kid. Not because they're educational (though they are), but because they're genuinely cool. The kind of cool that makes you look at numbers differently.

2 + 2 = 5 (For Very Large Values of 2)

This is a nerdy math joke, but it's based on real rounding logic:

If 2.4 rounds down to 2, and you add two numbers that are "2" (but actually 2.4 + 2.4 = 4.8), that rounds up to 5.

So technically, 2 + 2 can equal 5.

Mathematicians find this hilarious. Everyone else finds it mildly annoying.

You Can't Fold Paper in Half More Than 7-8 Times

Sounds fake, but it's true. Try it.

Take a piece of paper—any size—and fold it in half. Then fold it in half again. Keep going.

You'll hit a wall around 7 or 8 folds, no matter how big the paper is. The thickness doubles with each fold, and by fold 7, you're trying to fold something as thick as a notebook.

But here's the mind-blowing part: If you could fold it 42 times, the thickness would reach the Moon. If you folded it 103 times, it would be larger than the observable universe.

Exponential growth is bonkers..

What Math Actually Is (The Real Secret)

Math isn't just equations and homework. It's patterns, puzzles, surprises, and mysteries. It's the language the universe uses to organize itself.

And yeah, sometimes it's weird. Sometimes it's beautiful. Sometimes it's both.

That's what kids need to see. Not just practice problems. Not just math games (though they're great for practice!). The strange, beautiful side of math that schools skip over.

Math isn't boring. We just teach it like it is.