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Rube Goldberg Contest at Purdue

What is the competition?

2008 National winners
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Inspired by cartoonist Rube Goldberg, college students nationwide compete to design a machine that uses the most complex process to complete a simple task - put a stamp on an envelope, screw in a light bulb, make a cup of coffee - in 20 or more steps.

The competition is sponsored by the Purdue University campus chapter of Theta Tau, a professional engineering fraternity.

 

When are the 2009 contests?

Times and place of the 2009 contests will be announced later.

What was the 2008 task?

The task is to assemble a hamburger consisting of no less than one precooked meat patty, two vegetables and two condiments, sandwiched between two bun halves.

Who were the 2008 National winners?

For the third time in the last four years, the Purdue Society of Professional Engineers earned the top spot in the 21st annual national Rube Goldberg Machine Contest on Saturday (April 5) at the Purdue Armory.

 

How did the contest gain national prominence?

The contest began as a rivalry between two Purdue engineering fraternities and was popular at Purdue in the 1940s and 1950s. It was revived in 1983. Since then, winners have appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Newton's Apple," "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," "Late Night With David Letterman," NBC's "Today," CBS's "This Morning," CBS News, "Beyond 2000," CNN and ABC's "Good Morning America.".

 

Other Rube Goldberg links:

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