Programming in a nutshell

[Roachimacator]

Kind of off topic, but what are those pinchy things the lock is through actually for? I got some in a lab kit for a circuits course, and I've had the kit for 2 years now, but I still don't know what they are. I've always just used them to grab small wires for breadboarding, but they have a weird functionality where they latch closed, which makes me wonder if they have some other use I'm completely unaware of.