The Art of Overcomplicating Things
Rube Goldberg inspirations
Rube Goldberg
Rube was doing STEAM before the acronym existed! Goldberg is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. The cartoons led to the expression "Rube Goldberg machines" to describe similar gadgets and processes.
See
Rube Goldberg's work is a continued source of inspiration, and his legacy informs the way we see our world. Enjoy these Rube Goldberg inspired creations!
The Swish Machine by Creezy
Covid was a complicated time for all of us. Creezy got creative! In May of 2020, he published this video on YouTube. His Swish Machine took 2 months to make.
“This outdoor Rube Goldberg Machine goes around my entire yard, and swishes a basketball shot after 70 steps. This video was filmed in one take, meaning there are absolutely no hidden cuts or edits. The machine took a month to build and another month to successfully work, so please share this with anyone who needs some entertainment during these strange times!” -Creezy
Pass the Salt, Joseph’s Machines
So ridiculous and fun! I especially like the section with the fruit and veggies!
This To Shall Pass, OK Go
This a brilliant crew of artists and I recommend you check out their work!
OK GO has been inspiring kids for years!
I remember watching this video when it came out, I was in second grade. I built my very own Rube Goldberg machine shortly after out of tinker toys, Legos, twine, marbles, and nerf gun parts. Now I’m a 2nd year studying industrial design, a field all about crazy shit like this. I attribute this video to guiding me to where I am today and couldn’t be happier! @ItalianBrussel
Say
Rube Goldberg machines are amusing to watch because they use a series of intricate and often whimsical steps to accomplish a simple task. These machines highlight the absurdity of overcomplicating a process and may make you question the purpose of overcomplicating things in your own life.
What kinds of things do you overcomplicate and why?
Ask yourself questions like
"How could I simplify this?”
“How can I simplify this process step by step?”
“Who could I get advice from?”
Do
One more to watch! It is not on YouTube so click the link: A Thousand Years
Create your own Rube Goldberg Machine using everyday objects
1. Dominoes: Set up a series of dominoes to knock over and trigger a chain reaction. You can use different sizes and shapes of dominoes to add variety to your Rube Goldberg machine.
2. Jenga: Use a Jenga tower as the base of your machine and have a marble roll down the tower, knocking over other blocks and objects along the way.
3. Playing Cards: Use a deck of cards to create a card tower that will eventually fall and trigger the next step in your Rube Goldberg machine.
4. Slinky: Hang a slinky from a staircase and have it bounce down, setting off a series of events.
5. Toy Cars: Use toy cars to race down a track and hit a lever or button that will start the next part of your machine.
6. Ball Pit: Create a ball pit with tubes and tunnels for a marble to roll through before reaching the end and triggering the next step.
7. Connect Four: Use a Connect Four game board as the platform for your machine and have marbles or balls drop through the slots, setting off a chain reaction.
8. Building Blocks: Use building blocks to create a tower that will eventually topple over and start the next part of your machine.
9. Marble Run: Use a marble run set to create a complex track for a marble to travel through, triggering various parts of your Rube Goldberg machine.
10. Puzzle: Use a jigsaw puzzle to create a path for a marble to travel through, with each piece being a different element of your machine.
About Rube Goldberg
Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg (July 4, 1883 – December 7, 1970), better known as Rube Goldberg, was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor.
Goldberg is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. The cartoons led to the expression "Rube Goldberg machines" to describe similar gadgets and processes. Goldberg received many honors in his lifetime, including a Pulitzer Prize for political cartooning in 1948, the National Cartoonists Society's Gold T-Square Award in 1955,[1] and the Banshees' Silver Lady Award in 1959.[1][2] He was a founding member and first president of the National Cartoonists Society,[3] which hosts the annual Reuben Award, honoring the top cartoonist of the year and named after Goldberg, who won the award in 1967.[4] He is the inspiration for international competitions known as Rube Goldberg Machine Contests, which challenge participants to create a complicated machine to perform a simple task. (Wikipedia)
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