Bill Sampson

Did you end up with a paper, well, a napkin crane?

Yeah, it's almost like the paper has a memory that other materials don't have.

Yes.

OK, well, I'm going to practice my origami.

I'm going to try and find the answer to the question.

Let's see which happens first.

My money's on finding the scientific answer for learning how to make a paper crane.

But we can see.

Thank you.

Thank you, Harika, for your question.

Paper is so perfect for folding that it's the basis of an entire art form.

But why does paper remember its creases in a way that, say, a cotton napkin doesn't?

First, I think we need to find out exactly what paper is.

I know it usually comes from trees, but how can a knobbly old pine make a crisp white sheet?

To me, it sort of looks like fermented milk, kind of like cottage cheese.

It's like white and lumpy.

We're being shown around this very noisy paper-making operation by Dr Stephen Mann.

He's a paper chemist, paper-making teacher and a trustee here at Frogmore Paper Mill.

And so this is a historic paper mill.

How different is it from a modern one?