< Is it all THAT crazy a thought that the physics of paper clips could analyzed as a learning exercise?

It's not crazy at all. The paperclip was a product of an inventive mind. That one turned out to be useful. But even if you try to invent something and it turns out to be useless, you likely learned something in the process.

Albert Einstein was once seen standing in ankle deep water on a beach. Someone saw him standing there and asked what he was thinking about. He said he was wondering why he sank into the sand faster if he wiggled his toes. Maybe the physics of toe-wiggling and sand-sinking contributed to some of his more profound theories.

My question is; Have you ever used a paperclip for some purpose other that the one intended? If so, you may have an inventive mind.
Howard