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A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg.

Since then, the expression has expanded to denote any form of overly confusing or complicated system. For example, news headlines include "Is Rep. Bill Thomas the Rube Goldberg of Legislative Reform?"^[1] and "Retirement 'insurance' as a Rube Goldberg machine".^[2]

Origin

File:Rubenvent.jpg

Professor Butts and the Self-Operating Napkin

Rube Goldberg's cartoons became well known for depicting complex devices that performed simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways. An example on the right, is Goldberg's "Professor Butts and the Self-Operating Napkin", which was later reprinted in the postcard book, Rube Goldberg's Inventions!, compiled by Maynard Frank Wolfe from the Rube Goldberg Archives. The "Self-Operating Napkin" is activated when the soup spoon (A) is raised to mouth, pulling string (B) and thereby jerking ladle (C) which throws cracker (D) past parrot (E). Parrot jumps after cracker and perch (F) tilts, upsetting seeds (G) into pail (H). Extra weight in pail pulls cord (I), which opens and lights automatic cigar lighter (J), setting off skyrocket (K) which causes sickle (L) to cut string (M) and allow pendulum with attached napkin to swing back and forth, thereby wiping chin.

In 1931, the Merriam–Webster dictionary adopted the word "Rube Goldberg" as an adjective defined as accomplishing something simple through complex means.^[3]

Similar expressions

The phrase Heath Robinson contraption, named after the fantastical comic machinery illustrated by British cartoonist W. Heath Robinson, shares a similar meaning but predates the Rube Goldberg machine, originating in the UK in 1912.^[4]
In France, a similar machine is called usine à gaz, or gas factory, suggesting a very complicated factory with pipes running everywhere. It is now used mainly among programmers to indicate a complex program or in journalism to refer to a bewildering law or regulation.
In Denmark, they are called Storm P maskiner ("Storm P machines"), after the Danish cartoonist Robert Storm Petersen.
In Bengal, the humorist and children's author Sukumar Ray, in his nonsense poem "Abol tabol", had a character (Uncle) with a Rube Goldberg-like machine called "Uncle's contraption". This word is used colloquially in Bengali to mean a complex and useless object.
In Spain, devices akin to Goldberg's machines are known as Inventos del TBO (tebeo), named after those that cartoonist Ramón Sabatés made up and drew for a section in the TBO magazine, allegedly designed by some Professor Franz from Copenhagen.
The Norwegian cartoonist and storyteller Kjell Aukrust created a cartoon character named Theodor Felgen, who constantly invented complex machinery. Though it was often built out of unlikely parts, it always performed very well. Felgen stars as the inventor of an extremely powerful but overly complex car, Il Tempo Gigante, in the Ivo Caprino animated puppet film Flåklypa Grand Prix (1975).
The Australian cartoonist Bruce Petty depicts such themes as the economy, international relations or other social issues as complex interlocking machines that manipulate, or are manipulated by, people.
In Turkey, such devices are known as Zihni Sinir Proceleri, allegedly invented by a certain Prof. Zihni Sinir ("Crabby Mind"), a curious scientist character created by İrfan Sayar in 1977 for the cartoon magazine Gırgır. The cartoonist later went on to open a studio selling actual working implementations of his designs.
In Japan, they are called "Pythagorean devices" or "Pythagoras switch". PythagoraSwitch (ピタゴラスイッチ, "Pitagora Suicchi") is the name of a TV show featuring such devices.
Another related phenomenon is the Japanese art of chindōgu, which involves inventions that are hypothetically useful but of limited actual utility.
In Austria, Franz Gsellmann has worked for decades on a machine that he named the Weltmaschine ("world machine"), having many similarities to a Rube Goldberg machine.
Several art pieces by Tim Hawkinson contain complex apparatuses that are generally used to make abstract art or musical devices. Many of them are centered around the randomness of other devices (such as a slot machine) and are dependent on them to create some menial effect.
In Switzerland, this kind of machines are closely related with the artist duo Peter Fischli & David Weiss through their work, especially the Movie „Der Lauf der Dinge“ (The Way Things Go).
In Germany, such machines are often called "Was-passiert-dann-Maschine" ("What happens next machine") for the German name of similar devices used by Kermit the Frog in the children's TV show Sesame Street.
In Polish, such machine, or any other device performing unspecified duties, has the placeholder name ustrojstwo, actually a Russian loanword.

Machine contest

In early 1987, Purdue University in Indiana started the annual National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, organized by the Phi Chapter of Theta Tau, a national engineering fraternity.

Examples in media

In Back to the Future, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) has a Rube Goldberg machine to start cooking his breakfast and feed his dog when the clock turns to a certain time in the morning.
The movie The Goonies has an early scene where 'Chunk' (actor Jeff Cohen) has to perform the 'truffle shuffle' to be allowed entry in the Goonies house. The door is opened through a Rube Goldberg device.
The Way Things Go, a short film by Peter Fischli and David Weiss
Brazil, a 1985 film by Terry Gilliam set in a dystopian totalitarian bureaucratic society features many Rube Goldberg machines with specific household use.
Cog, a Honda television commercial featuring a complex Rube Goldberg machine, utilising ideas from The Way Things Go
Designs on Jerry, an episode of Tom and Jerry
"An Honest Mistake", a 2005 music video by the alternative rock band The Bravery
Wallace and Gromit featured many contraptions that qualify as Rube Goldberg machines.
Waiting..., a movie had a Rube Goldberg machine in the end credits
Pee-wee's Big Adventure, a 1985 movie, utilized a Rube Goldberg Machine for the "Breakfast Machine" sequence.^[5]^[6] This scene is also parodied in the season 4 Family Guy episode 8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter.^[7]
ピタゴラスイチ(Pythagoras Switch), a Japanese children's show which features the contraptions several times in an episode and features both machines constructed by the show's staff and videos of machines created by viewers.
The music video for OK Go's 2010 single This Too Shall Pass features a giant Rube Goldberg machine working in sync with the song.^[8].
The MythBusters made a Rube Goldberg Machine in one of their Christmas Specials
An episode of Flight of the Conchords, entitled The New Cup, includes a Rube-Goldberg layout that accidentally destroys a mug.
A sequence near the beginning of the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, where breakfast is "made" by eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts
The 2010 Times Square SUV bomb was referred to as a "Rube Goldberg contraption" by James Cavanaugh, a former ATF agent working with New York City to investigate the attempted terrorist act.
In episode 57 of Animaniacs (Wakko's Gizmo) Wakko builds such a device which results in a whoopee cushion being set off.
In the Spanish TV show El Hormiguero, at least once a week, in the segment "El Efecto Mariposa" (The Butterfly Effect) a Rube Goldberg machine whose final part tends to show something related to that day's guest is developed.
In the Nickelodeon tv show iCarly, Carly's older brother Spencer builds a Rube Goldberg device to feed his goldfish
In the Cartoon Network show Ed, Edd n Eddy, Edd and Eddy constructed a giant Rube Goldberg machine disguised as the Statue of Liberty in order to destroy Ed's violin, but it failed because Edd sabotaged it by luring Ed away from the target.
On the 4th of July, Google changes its logo into a Rube Goldberg machine in honor of Rube Goldberg's birthday.

Video games

The Incredible Machine, a video game
Mouse Trap, a game in which a Rube Goldberg mousetrap is built
Armadillo Run, a videogame where the goal is to move a ball to certain point.
Marble Drop
Crazy Machines
Dynamic Systems
Fallout 3 has a building the player can enter which contains a Rube Goldberg machine constructed from various traps and physics objects. Upon activating this machine, the various traps interact with one another in order to release some hard to find ammunition in one corner of the store. This machine can be seen in action in this Youtube video.

References

External links

[1] Economist's View: Is Rep. Bill Thomas the Rube Goldberg of Legislative Reform?

[2] Reason Magazine - Social Security's Progressive Paradox

[mw-3] "Rube Goldberg" (Webpage). Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-05.

[4] BBC - History - William Heath Robinson (1872 - 1944)

[5] Eat Me Daily - The Top Ten Food-Based Rube Goldberg Machines

[6] Metacafe Video - Pee Wee's Big Adventure - Breakfast Machine

[7] Hulu Video - Family Guy - Breakfast Machine

[8] ttp://www.youtube.com/user/okgo?blend=1&ob=4

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 * In [[Bengal]], the humorist and children's author [[Sukumar Ray]], in his nonsense poem "[[Abol tabol]]", had a character (Uncle) with a Rube Goldberg-like machine called "Uncle's contraption". This word is used colloquially in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] to mean a complex and useless object.
 * In [[Spain]], devices akin to Goldberg's machines are known as ''Inventos del TBO (tebeo)'', named after those that cartoonist [[Ramón Sabatés]] made up and drew for a section in the ''[[TBO (comics)|TBO]]'' [[magazine]], allegedly designed by some Professor Franz from [[Copenhagen]].
-* The [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] cartoonist and storyteller [[Kjell Aukrust]] created a cartoon character named [[Reodor Felgen]], who constantly invented complex machinery. Though it was often built out of unlikely parts, it always performed very well. Felgen stars as the inventor of an extremely powerful but overly complex car, ''Il Tempo Gigante'', in the [[Ivo Caprino]] animated puppet film ''[[Flåklypa Grand Prix]]'' (1975).
+* The [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] cartoonist and storyteller [[Kjell Aukrust]] created a cartoon character named [[Theodor Felgen]], who constantly invented complex machinery. Though it was often built out of unlikely parts, it always performed very well. Felgen stars as the inventor of an extremely powerful but overly complex car, ''Il Tempo Gigante'', in the [[Ivo Caprino]] animated puppet film ''[[Flåklypa Grand Prix]]'' (1975).
 * The Australian cartoonist [[Bruce Petty]] depicts such themes as the economy, international relations or other social issues as complex interlocking machines that manipulate, or are manipulated by, people.
 * In [[Turkey]], such devices are known as ''Zihni Sinir Proceleri'', allegedly invented by a certain [[Prof. Zihni Sinir]] ("Crabby Mind"), a curious scientist character created by [[İrfan Sayar]] in 1977 for the cartoon magazine ''[[Gırgır]]''. The cartoonist later went on to open a studio selling actual working implementations of his designs.