
The Perfection of the Paper Clip (2012) - prostoalex
https://slate.com/human-interest/2012/05/the-history-of-the-paper-clip-it-was-invented-in-1899-it-hasnt-been-improved-upon-since.html
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squarefoot
An often forgotten use for paper clips: when one needs to reset that darn
router/access point/whatever, and the pen (a pen? ...what's a pen?!?:^) just
doesn't fit the reset button hole.

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LeoPanthera
I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever in my entire life used a paper clip for
actually clipping paper. I suppose I must have done at some point, but it’s
rare enough that I can’t remember a single incident.

Meanwhile I’ve used them for a whole lot of things that require un-bending
them first.

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LeifCarrotson
I either staple papers, or use a binder clip. Paperclips may be perfect for
their ductile wire design, but they're not perfect for clipping paper if you
allow spring steel.

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jaclaz
For some reasons I am always fascinated/hypnotized by the actual machines
making "simple things" (like paper clips) in slow motion, see this video:

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsDdmDFDYHA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsDdmDFDYHA)

around 2:00

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acqq
Thanks, only seeing the video I understood the line from the article: “the key
to the success of the Gem clip can be found in the fact that it was patented
first as a mechanism: _the shape, which took only three gentle bends and a
snip to produce_ , was easy to automate cheap to produce”

Brilliant.

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amflare
> With cubbyholes no longer necessary, the flat-top desk, with more access to
> light and air but less privacy, became the standard.

So the takeaway here is that we can blame the paperclip for open office
layouts.

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AlexDragusin
Come to think of it, the paper clip also ushered the digital assistant era
[1]. It would be safe to assume that the paperclip is not yet done!

[1] [https://3er1viui9wo30pkxh1v2nh4w-wpengine.netdna-
ssl.com/wp-...](https://3er1viui9wo30pkxh1v2nh4w-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-
content/uploads/prod/sites/40/2018/10/Clippy_Featured-5bb742910a540.jpg)

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Balanceinfinity
Have to say that the binder clip is a good deal of an advancement on the
paperclip....and it only has three parts, two identical.

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m463
They have so many off-label uses.

Binder clips, ziploc bags, twisty ties, a letter opener, post-its, sharpie,
scissors, wire cutters, ... life's problem solvers.

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kylek
I've always kept a paper clip on my key chain. Handy for resetting things!

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JohnFen
Paper clips have been perfected? That's hard to believe, as there are so many
problems with them.

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ipython
TIL there is a documentary called Paper Clips (2004) - an inspiring story of a
small town middle school who collected 6 million paper clips to represent the
people killed during the Holocaust:
[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380615/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380615/).
Thanks for posting.

