Rube Goldberg Machine Contest Celebrates 30 Years


As the school year comes to an end, it means it's time to thank all of the amazing teachers that work with our kids during the school year. Students everywhere will agree that their teachers are an integral part of their everyday school work. This includes a special group of students who get to compete in the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, their teachers are an integral part of their creations and the experience taught them to work hard, work together, all while having fun building their very own Rube Goldberg Machine.




This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.

Who was Rude Goldberg?
Rube Goldberg, the legendary and iconic Pulitzer Prize - winning engineer and cartoonist, who satirized machine design through his "invention cartoons. His drawings always showcased ridiculously over complicated machines meant for a simple task and are featured continuously in popular media including movies such as Back to the Future, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and many more.
“Rube Goldberg” is the only name included in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as an adjective meaning: A complicated and funny way to complete a simple task. Rube Goldberg is also often referred to as “the grandfather of S.T.E.M.” 


A few weeks ago, more than 350 student inventors from across the country got to compete in the historic 30th anniversary of the Rube Goldberg Machine Contest live finals, they took place at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. The challenge this year was to “Pour a Bowl of Cereal" and the Task Sponsor was General Mills. Students from elementary to college levels made this simple task ridiculously complicated and were judged on their teamwork, creativity and the spirit of Rube Goldberg. Shown in the picture above.

Rube Goldberg continues to live on in pop culture and is referenced daily in both print and digital media. His name is searchable, hash-taggable, and at best viral. But nowhere is his legacy more celebrated than through the competitions that bear his name. For a look at some of this year’s machines visit www.rubegoldberg.com



Love,
Kary xoxo







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