There isn’t anyone on the planet who can deny the pleasure of watching a good Rube Goldberg machine. For those of you who don’t know, Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, often referred to as the “father of invention” for his series of comics depicting complicated, deliberately over-engineered contraptions that perform a very simple task. One step triggers the next in a chain reaction until the final task is complete. Once it starts it’s practically impossible to peel yourself away from the anticipation of what’s coming next.
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From Japan to the United States, Goldberg contraptions have flooded cultures around the world in commercials, contests, movies, and TV shows. We’ve put together a collection of Rube Goldberg machines, apparatuses, inventions, and devices that will blow your freakin’ mind, one domino at a time.
HEYHEYHEY – Melvin the Magical Mixed Media Machine
Design studio HEYHEYHEY created Melvin the Machine for the 2010 Dutch Design Week at the MU art space. The contraption uses cameras and videos to record the audience’s reaction while in motion. These photos and videos are then uploaded to Melvin’s social media accounts. This Rube Goldberg machine also creates original works of art during the performance. Unfortunately Melvin’s Twitter has been silent for a few years now. Although the official website did specify that the Magical Mixed Media Machine would be taking an indefinite break from Twittering, Facebooking, and partying.
Hey Hey Hey – Melvin the Mini Machine
The same design studio behind Melvin the Magical Mixed Media Machine, HEYHEYHEY, also created the newer and much smaller Melvin the Mini Machine. After the success of the original Rube Goldberg machine, the studio was bombarded with requests to take their wonderfully inefficient show on the road. However, the massive unit was simply too big and expensive to rebuild routinely. HEYHEYHEY then decided to create a more travel-friendly version of their original sprawling Rube Goldberg machine. This unit is designed within the confines of a pair of suitcases. These work in tandem as part of a larger, more portable performance.
2D House – Isaac Newton vs. Rube Goldberg
Though some of the machines on this list are painfully detailed and long-winded affairs, Toronto-based 2D House kept it short and sweet with this contraption. Gravity has met its match here, as the first half of the process is made to look like your average, run-of-the-mill Rube Goldberg machine (if there even is such a thing) — except it’s being filmed upside down. Once you see the odd flight path taken by the marbles at around the 15-second mark, your brain starts to realize how ridiculous this thing actually is. Instead of the burdensome complexity we’ve come to expect from these videos, Newton vs. Goldberg makes you want to go back and watch it again to try and figure out exactly what’s going on.
Fallout 4 – Red Rocket
YouTube user IAGO made liberal use of several downloadable mods to create a virtual Rube Goldberg machine within Fallout 4‘s Commonwealth wasteland. Built upon a Red Rocket gas station, this ridiculous machine involves flame jets, bowling balls, pressure pads, paint guns, a basketball hoop, and pain-in-the-ass NPC Preston “Another settlement needs your help” Garvey imprisoned in wooden stocks. Though many elements of the video aren’t available in the vanilla game — the extremely PG-13 armor set worn by the player character, for instance — we had fun watching the digital contraption play out. We’re not really sure what “L**K TODD$ FINGER” means, but who cares? It’s cool, and it has fireworks.
Honda – Cog
Six hundred and six takes later, this Honda commercial titled “Cog” first aired in the U.K. in 2003. Hoping to boost car sales, Honda got a team of engineers, car designers, and even a sculptor to design the machine — made up parts from two disassembled Honda Accord cars. The two minute commercial, which only aired on TV a handful of times, cost over $ 1 million and seven months to film. That said, it proved to be money well spent. The commercial’s popularity skyrocketed in the United Kingdom, hitting the highest web traffic records for the Honda U.K. domain in its history the day after the commercial aired. “Cog” has also nabbed the most awards of any commercial in history to date. No graphics or digital tricks were used in the making of the commercial, despite what YouTube commenters would have you believe.
OK Go – This Too Shall Pass
The Chicago band OK Go first became known around the water cooler for their music video featuring artistic treadmill dancing. To break ground in the music industry for a second time in 2010, the band needed the help of an elaborate Goldberg contraption. The video, cleverly titled “This Too Shall Pass” raked over 50 million views on YouTube and took over four months to shoot. The enormous contraption flows over two stories of an LA warehouse, making the video’s single, unbroken camera shot quite impressive. The beat and lyrics of the song perfectly synch with each step of the contraption from a falling piano to swinging pledge hammers and everything in between. The team even got the help of NASA scientists for the video that induces some serious gasp-heavy moments.
MythBusters – Rube Goldberg Christmas
The idea of a creating a Goldberg contraption was so tempting for the famous MythBusters duo, they didn’t even need a myth to build it. Hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hynema do it big and this Christmas inspired machine is no exception. Fire, an oversized nutcracker, a Mentos explosion, and the remaining 31 working parts make for a must watch MythBusters moment. If you want more MythBusters/Goldberg, the boys came out with a series called “Unchained Reaction” in 2012, pitting two teams against each other to build Goldberg-like machines. But for now, enjoy the OG of MythBusters’ Goldberg creations.
3M commercial
Who could have predicted that your everyday Post-it notes and Scotch tape could make such an eye-catching machine? The people at 3M collected over 25,000 Post-it notes, 300 feet of reflective sheet, 200 pounds of steel, 75 rolls of Scotch tape, and a whole lot more to create this intricate machine made entirely of its own products. It took over 1,400 hours and required input from experts in scientific disciplines like physics, chemistry, and thermodynamics to complete. “The Brand Machine” (as 3M refers to it), like most Goldberg machines, illustrates a larger point: that we might overlook the small things like a Post-it Note that simplify our lives. So after watching this 3M Goldberg machine, you better appreciate your Post-its.
Beneful – Dog Goldberg machine
Humans aren’t the only talent behind Goldberg machines. Puppies can do it, too. In this Beneful commercial, the contraption is 100-percent dog-powered, making it irresistible to watch. Beneful CEO Ian Schafer collected over half a dozen dogs of all ages and sizes to complete the canine-themed contraption, saying, “I’ll put it this way, it wasn’t easy. It was a very long day.” No matter how many takes it required on their end, all we see is an overload of cuteness and some ridiculously well-trained doggos and puppers.
Red Bull Kluge – The athlete machine
Red Bull is the king of epic content. To kick off its Goldberg invention, then, a skydiver decked out in Red Bull gear is dropped from a cargo bay helicopter. This human chain reaction, called “Kluge,” is powered by a star studded athlete cast including Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones, BMX rider Danny MacAskill, and pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler. Pros or not, the athletes couldn’t do it alone, as the undertaking required over 45 GoPro cameras, a 75 person crew, 12 different machines, and 3,433 man hours to complete. The man behind the video, Adam Sadowsky founder of Syyn Labs, said “It’s like watching a NASCAR wreck in slow motion … it’s physics in action.”
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure – The breakfast machine
The breakfast machine in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure is just as awesome today as it was back then. Pee-Wee starts his day by releasing his retraceable sheets before stepping into his bunny slippers, then sliding down his fireman pole and finally lighting a candle triggering one of the most memorable creations on the big screen, the breakfast machine. We can all assume Rube Goldberg would have been a huge fan of the 1985 movie along with that breakfast that looks so darn good before Pee-Wee pours Mr.T cereal all over it.
NatGeo TV – The Nat Geo contraption
“Entertain your brain” is the slogan behind this promotional video by National Geographic and that it does. In hopes to pry people away from their smartphones and back to watching TV, the British Nat Geo team built a four ton Goldberg machine. Using a human loop-the-loop and the entire solar system makes this apparatus the most massive Goldberg on our list. We’re not exactly sure what this has to do with either nature or geography, but it’s awesome anyway.
A-Trak & Tommy Trash – Tuna Melt
Another music inspired Goldberg machine was designed this time for A-Trak and Tommy Trash’s techno tune “Tuna Melt.” The video is among one of the more elaborate Goldberg creations with thousands of small working parts. The video is rumored to have been helped with hyperrealistic 3D effects, but who cares about authenticity when it’s so cool and such a catchy tune. The exploding apparatuses were created by Lunatic Rex, AKA “Kinetic King,” a Guinness World Record holder for his stick bomb configurations. Every eagerly awaited step comes together to make, you guessed it, a tuna melt.
2D House – 2D photography Rube Goldberg machine
2D House, making its second appearance on our list, is a photography company that’s becoming well known for its Goldberg photo-themed contraptions. After eight months of grueling work, the photo team debuted this one complete with camera bags, camera, umbrella’s tripods, caps, and lens. 2D also offers a back stage “How it’s made” video in combination with the photo finish.
