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The Complicated Way to Turn on a Flashlight

Posted by timothy on from the complicationism dept.

jangobongo writes "A machine built by the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers employed an outer-space theme and used steps that incorporated a bouncing water balloon, a fireman action figure fleeing a fire and weights attached to a spinning bicycle wheel to win the 18th national Purdue Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. The winning machine told the story of rocket being launched. As the rocket traveled into space, a meteor hit Earth and started a fire. While the mock fire was put out, the rocket turned on the flashlight to shine back down on Earth. A short video clip can be seen here. The contest was filmed by the Game Show Network to be featured on the network's show, 'Games Across America,' at some future date."

5 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. 'Fire' as a theme by Jtheletter · · Score: 0, Redundant

    is continued as their server burns to a crisp....

    --
    -- I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist. It's not my fault that life sucks so much. --
  2. Concept by Robotron23 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The whole concept behind this originated from a Honda ad.

    Not so long ago /. linked to a video in which a bunch of students had re-created the ad, albeit more amatuerishly.

    And now, adding to the wonderful physics of it all...we have flashlights.

    1. Re:Concept by kidgenius · · Score: 1, Redundant
      The whole concept behind this originated from a Honda ad.

      Actually, both this contest and the Honda commercial were inspired by Rube Goldberg machines.

    2. Re:Concept by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

      And of course, all this crap was inspired by the way they opened the front gate in "Goonies".

      Wow. And just this moment I got the double-entendre of "One-Eyed Willie".

  3. Honda Ad by jelevy01 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    There is also this great ad from Honda I think all but one little part is real.