If I may wax pedantic for a moment, here’s a rather striking example of the remarkable creativity that can result from radically limiting one’s options. “What is the coolest thing I can make using all the myriad resources available in the world?” may be a stultifying proposition, but picking something ready to hand—”What is the coolest thing I can make from just this pile of paperclips?”—is a more manageable and, in my opinion, often a more interesting and enjoyable process.

This and a dozen other similar photographs were taken by Flickr user Danforth Nichols, and the weapons themselves are attributed to his friend “Brett.” [via Boing Boing]

More:

• Make a Starship Enterprise out of paperclips
• HOW TO – make a paperclip puzzle
• More Paperclip Snub Dodecahedron Fun
• Paperclip Grappling Hook