What is Rube Goldberg machine?
[[File:Something for nothing (1940).ogv|thumb|thumbtime=18|upright=1.1|''Something for nothing'' (1940)]] A '''Rube Goldberg machine''' is a [[machine]] that looks complicated but has a very simple function, such as ironing a shirt. It is an [[wikt:expression|expression]] used to identify something that does very simple tasks in a very complex way. The expression was named after [[United States|American]] [[inventor]] and cartoonist [[Rube Goldberg]] (1883–1970). Rube Goldberg machines are usually a set of simple mechanisms that are indirectly unrelated, which carry out a simple function, these are called chain reactions and initiate a series of events to produce a certain outcome. Although the Rube Goldberg machine creates a simple outcome, it is most likely impossible to replicate in real-life as it is often extremely complex and quirky. {{stub}} [[Category:Phrases]] [[Category:Mechanics]]