Day 102 - Learn a Paper-Clip Bar Trick

Date: April 18th, 2010

A couple weeks back I was struck with the realization that finals were around the corner.  I'll admit that this project has been enough fun that part of me has wanted to run off into the sunset with it and let the chips fall where they may.  That being said, the rest of me just remembers that I've wanted to be a lawyer since before I could even talk so, I decided to hang out and prep for finals.  I decided to start looking for small, but interesting things that I could do to keep this going.  So, without further adieu, I present the first in a roughly three week series I'm calling "School is a New-sense".  Get it?  God I love wordplay.

The first new experience up on the docket was something I stumbled onto when I reached a creative wall.  I couldn't think of any other experience categories, so to speak, so I just started typing random words into the search boxes on the interweb to see what would come up.  Did you know that there are tons of amazingly interesting uses for paper clips?  Me neither.  That's probably because we both have friends and a life.

The one thing I did find that looked darn cool though was this bar trick with a couple paper clips and a dollar bill.  Well, I used a five spot, but that's cause I was feeling decadent.  The scam neat trick goes like this:

First, gather your supplies.

Then fold the bill like a more different S.

I'm going to pause here for a second because I discovered something in the course of writing this entry that is not ok.  I was looking for the link you see above (which you totes need to click on) when I stumbled on to this.  I just can't help but think that the Homestar Runner Wiki is something Strong Bad would make fun of.  If you didn't get any of those references, don't worry about it.  This paragraph won't self destruct, but you won't have to read it anymore starting............ now.

Then you attach one of the paper clips to part of the folded bill.

Rinse and repeat.

The physics of the trick are pretty neat.  By creating the overlap in the bill between the clips, the only way to pull the bill taut ends up connecting the clips.  The best way to introduce this trick, according to this chick, is to bet people that you can connect two paper clips without touching them.  Then put the clips on the dollar and blamo!  They'll be more impressed than your slacker roommate is when he sees something shiny.

Check it.