  A popular physics legend holds that scissors can cut paper with a speed
faster than light. Here this counter-intuitive myth is investigated
theoretically using four simple examples of scissors. For simplicity, all cases
will involve a static lower scissors blade that remains horizontal just under
the paper. In the first case, the upper blade will be considered perfectly
rigid as it rotates around and through the paper, while in the second case, a
rigid upper blade will drop down to cut the paper like a guillotine. In the
third case, the paper is cut with a laser rotating with a constant angular
speed that is pointed initially perpendicular to the paper at the closest
point, while in the fourth case, the uniformly rotating laser is pointed
initially parallel to the paper. Although details can be surprising and
occasionally complex, all cases allow sections of the paper to be cut faster
than light without violating special relativity. Therefore, the popular legend
is confirmed, in theory, to be true.
