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Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) was a scientist and cartoonist who produced satirical work on people’s overly complex problem solving methods. In his comical cartoons, he linked together chain reactions with simple machines to complete basic tasks, like turning on a lamp or frying an egg.[1]
Designing and building a Rube Goldberg machine requires innovation and patience. While every machine is different, many builders include versions of other people's ideas, tweaking them or linking them in exciting ways.