CMU School of Drama


Monday, October 17, 2016

Massive Rube Goldberg Machine to Trigger Chain Reaction Across America

The Creators Project: Fire cannons! Dominoes! Text messages! Gospel choirs! This weekend, watch as a nationwide Rube Goldberg machine—the biggest ever attempted—makes its way across the entire continent. Oh, and better yet? Pick up a wrench or a paint can, and you can make your own contribution.

5 comments:

Annie Scheuermann said...

Wow this is crazy! How have I, or the freshmen DP classes not know about this project until now. A Rube Goldberg Machine that spans the continent is crazy. I hope to find the time and remember to see the live recording. I remember the pressure of just having ours work last year was intense, but I can't image working on this one and the waiting to see if it can go from start to finish with out stopping. I think that in our world it is so cool that they can connect the kinetic machines to different schools and groups around the world with technology so that the Machine can take place all over, while not being physically in one line across the country. The pictures show some really intense engineering that goes into some of the groups works, and when comparing it to our cardboard and tape machine, it is quiet impressive. I hope that it works, and more importantly that this is shown around the world, as it is such a collaborative and innovative idea while using and old school idea.

Unknown said...

I am so intrigued by the ideals and elements expressed in this article and its conjoining video. Put the art and the technology aside the ideals behind this installation expresses everything that America needs in this stage in its development. 2016 has already been a crazy year for America and its only spiraling farther downward leading up to the elections this November. This art experiment or installation rather to say is exactly what the nation needs in this trying time- a combination or innovation, artistic expression and communication. By allowing many makers from across the nation to coexist and communicate while creating this work, this organization is creating a safe environment for debate and facilitation. In the future I hope that many more projects similar to this will be created to intrigue the nation and their minds. Also, I hope that this mindset can remain with me as I embark on the Rube Goldberg Machine this spring.

Unknown said...

PTSD: The article. Rube Goldberg machines bring people together in a way that few other things can, so it's no surprise that this has become a world-wide undertaking. While working at Steppenwolf this past summer, prior to a matinee, many members of the cast and crew of a show gathered in the green room to watch OK Go music videos that were massive Rube Goldberg machines, just because they were so inspiring from a creative standpoint. I also agree with Annie in the sense that I would love to participate outside of a school setting with no harsh deadlines. The coolest part is that after the machine finishes, there will be time in the livestream dedicated to personal rube goldberg machines all across America that people submit independently. Facilitating people all across America through text messaging to set off their Rubes in also ingenious, as it allows for a brief time delay, and, yet, as long as there is signal and something to receive it, there are very low chances of failure. Now, that only speaks to the triggering mechanism, so anything can happen in between, but I'm sure when the stakes are this high and the whole world is watching, you make sure that everything works a solid 50 times.

Unknown said...

This article is pretty much perfectly laid out for the freshman DPs. I think the ideas brought to the country's participants is a great cause. The communal aspects of building a Rube Goldberg machine together, no matter what age or sex or anything else, to strengthen community and encourage creativity & teamwork. This sort of thing reminds me of activities that happen at the Maker Faire. I went to the Maker Faire this weekend and out of all the things going on, the one thing lacking was team building. Deconstruct America fixes this since it joins working as a team and science. Besides these aspects, I think it's extremely important that Deconstruct America follows certain themes whether they're about gender or humanism and just glorifying the individuality of the American people. This brings these issues and ideas into participants' minds and just makes sure we're thinking about these things as we create. Finally, I can't wait to work with my classmates to make our Rube Goldberg machine next semester. I agree with Delaney: I hope every keeps these ideals in mind when working on our Rube Goldberg machines because we're going to be spending A LOT of time together in the same room.

Claire Krueger said...

It was cool reading about an art group so close to home (Detroit) and the Flint water crisis piece was really cool. The origination aspect of connecting teams to teams is incredible. Working in a group is hard as it is but a team within a team, and the demands that a Rube requires combined, that one intense project to coordinate and lead. As cool as it is all I could think about is our Rube project, and even through its an entire semester away I find myself both excited and terrified as I anticipate the process.