Also don't get hung up on "folded". He hasn't innovated a design (it was invented by a Japanese astrophysicist, Miura-Ori), merely measured sustainable load across different designs.
The boy experimented to find the optimal parameters (height, width, angles) for load bearing of that earlier invention.
So, the result of his work would warrant a new patent, of course with reference to all earlier patents of which his work is an improvement.
I was more ready to accept the headline if it had been invented by the kid.
Are you telling me you can't roll up 10 origami papers and stand them on a reasonably stable origami pattern?
that makes way more sense
not enough coffee bcak