National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest of '08 makes us feel lazy

The last time we got to feeling this crafty was in middle school and involved large quantities of cardboard. The folks at the National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest 2008 have clearly taken things to another level, and while the ingenuity is evident, the commitment to aesthetic excellence is what really makes this event a winner. Also the fake beards.

[adam @ Apr 6th 2008 12:03AM]

I saw this on the news tonight but for a different reason. The 2 guys that won are Purdue University students, both are from Fort Wayne, IN which is my hometown. Also, I went to high school with one of the winners. :)

[Isak? @ Apr 6th 2008 5:27AM]

I was one of the winners last year. This year wasn't as good.

[Jody @ Apr 6th 2008 12:12AM]

Nerd Alert!

-Jody-

[mushrooshi @ Apr 6th 2008 12:30AM]

Theres nothing wrong with being smart[er].

[karts41 @ Apr 6th 2008 12:57AM]

Id rather be a nerd than stupid

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 6th 2008 6:47AM]

"Gah. I gotta say. I love you engadget. Every other site covering Macworld is soooo slow and not able to update nearly as fast as Engadget. You guys kick ass! Thanks for the great work!

I'm really intrested in the first third party benchmarks. Any news of MacBook Pros on display?"

I'll let the jury decide on this one: hypocrite or not?

And I totally agree with the guy above me. Being a nerd is great!

[Trey @ Apr 6th 2008 12:12AM]

Me and my physics class made it to the state level in high school but got destroyed by the big city kids that spent more than two months working on it. We got close to being able to go to Purdue today but didn't make the top 2.

[Flashpoint @ Apr 6th 2008 12:22AM]

The two people in this pic weigh upwards of several hundred pounds.

[LOL @ Apr 7th 2008 3:10PM]

I think one of them has a beard lol

[Sudo @ Apr 6th 2008 12:24AM]

Needs breakfast machine music.

[Tom @ Apr 6th 2008 5:35AM]

I was thinking that exact same thing when I saw that picture...

[Esat Dedezade @ Apr 6th 2008 7:22AM]

"What was the point of all that? All it does is shoot you. It doesn't make breakfast at all!" :(

[Daniel @ Apr 6th 2008 12:26AM]

what in the hell am i looking at

[peshue @ Apr 6th 2008 12:29AM]

Makes me want to play The Incredible Machine again.

[mushrooshi @ Apr 6th 2008 12:29AM]

OH EM GEE!

[mushrooshi @ Apr 6th 2008 12:30AM]

Theres nothing wrong with being smart[er].

[mushrooshi @ Apr 6th 2008 12:31AM]

delete pl0x. reply button not working. and yes, I know, click on the timestamp on it.

[Carl Vitullo @ Apr 6th 2008 12:39AM]

that guy on the right looks really sketchy.

[Abuzar @ Apr 6th 2008 12:49AM]

I'll show you what's stretchy!





Rubber bands.

What? You guys were expecting a penis joke?

[Zeus.:God @ Apr 6th 2008 1:04AM]

Abuzar... S*K*etchy- not s*TR*etchy...

[computer.dude.28 @ Apr 6th 2008 10:33AM]

Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!

[Abuzar @ Apr 6th 2008 12:12PM]

Ah damn it.


Rubber bands on my mind all day. I thought he said stretchy.

[Carl Vitullo @ Apr 6th 2008 1:36PM]

now i'm wondering what you thought i meant by calling a guy "stretchy."

[Abuzar @ Apr 6th 2008 5:23PM]

Like stretched out. Like fat.

[Paul @ Apr 6th 2008 12:55AM]

he said sketchy not stretchy

[finnith @ Apr 6th 2008 1:04AM]

Inserting obligatory comment about how you can possibly post about a "Nerd Alert" when you yourself are posting on a blog about technology.

[finnith @ Apr 6th 2008 1:05AM]

That was meant for Jody.

Apologies.

[takamaru @ Apr 6th 2008 1:08AM]

Slow news day?

[Special_K @ Apr 6th 2008 1:36AM]

Honestly, is this the obligatory response to every f***ing thing they post nowadays? How do Rube Goldberg devices possibly not count as gadgets? How do you give a shit what they post? Does it inconvenience you somehow? Do you print out Engadget every day in a newspaper format? If so, then I guess this might be a problem. I know I hate sitting on the subway trying to flip from A1 to A25 because I know everything in between is useless crap. Yet, this is a blog (of sorts), not a newspaper or even a television show: they have (practically) unlimited space, and (theoretically) unlimited time. They can post whatever they want and you, the reader, can just scroll one paragraph down to avoid reading it if you don't want to.

[Chris Macdonald @ Apr 6th 2008 10:38AM]

special k:

Takamaru can post whatever he wants and you, the comment reader can just scroll down to avoid reading it if you don't want to.

Does it inconvenience you somehow?
Do you print out the comments in newspaper format every day?
There's (practicaly) unlimited space on the comment section, and (theoreticaly) unlimited time in that guy's life.


I love stirring up shit :D

[Joe P @ Apr 6th 2008 1:12AM]

Please post the video they mentioned when they finish it!

[Frank @ Apr 6th 2008 1:27AM]

The next 2 cast members of Beauty and the Geek! :)

[scott @ Apr 6th 2008 1:34AM]

Boiler Up!

[Maxx @ Apr 6th 2008 1:47AM]

Interesting.

[mushrooshi @ Apr 6th 2008 2:04AM]

PITAGORA SUICHI!

[takamaru @ Apr 6th 2008 2:05AM]

I also as a reader and a poster can post whatever the hell I want. As I did and as you did. Glad we can agree. Cheers!

[takamaru @ Apr 6th 2008 2:06AM]

Sorry last post was @ Special_K

[dave lemke @ Apr 6th 2008 2:10AM]

someone should do a 'fear of girls'-esc web movie using these two guys as their muses.
highlarious.

[Jordan @ Apr 6th 2008 2:27AM]

I'm glad out of the thousands of kids you went to highschool with one of them was a success. I'm sad that out of the thousands of kids you went to highschool the success wasn't you.

[Jordan @ Apr 6th 2008 2:27AM]

FUCK THE COMMENT SYSTEM!

[Ryan @ Apr 6th 2008 2:39AM]

The kid in the back's hat is amazing. And the cloth beard thing he's got going on; also amazing. Its like a mix between the KKK and the Amish. I'll give him an A for effort.

[Taylor @ Apr 6th 2008 3:10AM]

You know what else would have to be stretchy?
Their t-shirts.

[Ian @ Apr 6th 2008 3:34AM]

What no apple products or pics of celebrities with electronic goods?

[Pc_Madness @ Apr 6th 2008 4:14AM]

Dude! Check out that level 42 Mage! He'd give Dumbledore a run for his money any day.

Or is he supposed to be one of those princesses with the pointy hats? :confused:

[giuliop @ Apr 6th 2008 5:10AM]

Yep, I must say it doesn't make _me_ lazy at all.

[giuliop @ Apr 6th 2008 5:13AM]

That was a reply to FlashPoint... sigh.

And oops, I meant "make _me_ FEEL lazy"...

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 6th 2008 6:46AM]

"Gah. I gotta say. I love you engadget. Every other site covering Macworld is soooo slow and not able to update nearly as fast as Engadget. You guys kick ass! Thanks for the great work!

I'm really intrested in the first third party benchmarks. Any news of MacBook Pros on display?"

I'll let the jury decide on this one: hypocrite or not?

And I totally agree with the guy above me. Being a nerd is great!

[John @ Apr 6th 2008 7:28AM]

Don't make fun of nerds. One day you will be working for one. :P

[John @ Apr 6th 2008 7:29AM]

Curse you comment system, curse you.

[monkfishbandana @ Apr 6th 2008 7:54AM]

I agree with both your comments.