Purdue University Beats Their Own Record for Most Complicated Rube Goldberg Machine

Do you remember that sort of cool, but ultimately crappy-right-until-the-end, board game Mouse Trap? It was a miniature Rube Goldberg machine, which is an over complicated machine meant to do one task. For Mouse Trap, it was to trap the mouse. But why type it out when I can let a cartoon cat sing the steps?

Mouse Trap

OK Go sort of sparked renewed interest in these machines, with their video for This Too Shall Pass, which featured a giant Rube Goldberg machine, shown below. The video took a LOT of takes to get it right, but hey, 35 million views is nothing to sneeze at.

OK Go – This Too Shall Pass

As for all pointless things in life, there is a world record for the world’s most complicated Rube Goldberg machine. It was held by Purdue University, and now Purdue University beat their own record, by increasing the number of steps in the machine from 232 to 300, an increase that only true mathematicians can calculate (via Geekologie).

You would think for a world record breaking video, you’d have a) HD quality b) multiple or ‘better’ camera angles and c) a cool soundtrack. Well, the soundtrack consists of that song the Toronto Maple Leafs used to play after they scored goals. On the bright side, the machine eventually pops a balloon! Check it out and be inspired to booby trap your girlfriend’s kitchen.