SOME BOWLING
BALLS, AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.
>> I WOULD CALL MYSELF A RUBE
GOLDBERG EXPERT.
I GUESS, MORE SPECIFICALLY, A
RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE EXPERT.
SEAN: ZACH UMPEROVITCH IS REALLY
GOOD AT MAKING REALLY EASY TASKS
LOOK HARD.
ZACH: A RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE IS
SOMETHING THAT TAKES ENERGY AND
TRANSFERS IT FROM ONE STEP TO
THE OTHER OR ONE OBJECT TO
ANOTHER, SO AS LONG AS YOU'RE
TAKING A SIMPLE TASK AND MAKING
IT INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY
COMPLICATED, THAT CAN BE
CONSIDERED RUBE GOLDBERG.
MORE PEOPLE MIGHT BE FAMILIAR
WITH THE TERM CHAIN REACTION
DEVICE.
SEAN: ALTHOUGH MANY MIGHT THINK
OF THE GAME MOUSE TRAP OR THE
FAMOUS OK GO VIDEO, THERE IS
QUITE A BIT OF HISTORY BEHIND
THESE HYPNOTIZING MACHINES.
♪
>> RUBE GOLDBERG WAS A
CARTOONIST IN THE EARLY 1900'S
WHO DREW THESE CRAZY CARTOONS,
WHERE IT WOULD TAKE A SIMPLE
TASK AND MAKE IT EXTREMELY
COMPLICATED.
>> TO CREATE A MACHINE THAT
WOULD START ITSELF, OVERCOME
FRICTION, AND STILL HAVE ENOUGH
POWER LEFT TO DO USEFUL WORK.
IN SHORT, PERPETUAL MOTION
MACHINES.
>> FROM THAT, THE MACHINES
THEMSELVES GREW INTO A
COMPETITION BETWEEN FRATERNITIES
AT PURDUE IN THE 1980'S, AND
THEN TURNED INTO THE ENGINEERING
OLYMPICS OF AMERICA.
THAT'S HOW I GOT THROWN INTO THE
MIX.
SEAN: REALLY, BUILDING RUBE
GOLDBERG MACHINES STARTED
EARLIER THAN THAT FOR ZACH.
ZACH: I ACTUALLY STARTED
BUILDING THESE WHEN I WAS THREE
YEARS OLD.
THERE ARE PICTURES OF ME
TINKERING WITH -- I TOOK APA
MY HAMSTERS CAGE USING THAT
TUBING, AND THEN RAN THE MARBLES
DOWN THE TUBE INTO A BOX, WHICH
SLID DOWN THE STAIRS AND KNOCKED
OVER A BOOK.
SEAN: SINCE THEN, HIS MACHINES
HAVE BECOME A LITTLE MORE
COMPLICATED:
ZACH: CURRENTLY, WE ARE IN
MERRIMACK, NEW HAMPSHIRE IN THE
21 CONTINENTAL COMPANIES
FACILITY.
WHERE THEY'VE BEEN GENEROUS
ENOUGH TO LOAN ME ALL OF THIS
OFFICE EQUIPMENT.
THIS YEAR'S MACHINE IS FOR WOLF
GREENFIELD, A LAW FIRM BASED OUT
OF BOSTON AS WELL AS NOW NEW
YORK CITY.
THEY HIRED ME TO BUILD THIS
GIGANTIC MACHINE THAT ALL IT
DOES IS SIMPLY SAY HAPPY
HOLIDAYS.
SEAN: WE VISITED THE SET AND
LEARNED THAT GETTING A PENCIL TO
START A MICROWAVE OR A BOWLING
BALL TO SMASH A PRINTER ISN'T
ALWAYS AN EXACT SCIENCE.
>> ARE WE SAFE IN THIS AREA?
>> PROBABL
IT WILL PROBABLY WORK.
SO LET'S MAKE SURE THIS THING
STILL WORKS.
SEAN: SO WHAT MAKES ZACH A MAD
SCIENTIST OF RUBE MACHINES?
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE IS
ACTUALLY A GEOLOGIST, NOT AN
ENGINEER.
ZACH: I AM A VERY TIGHT A
PERSON.
-- I AM A VERY TYPE-A PERSON.
I LIKE LISTS.
I LIKE EVERYTHING GOING
ACCORDING TO PLAN.
RUBE GOLDBERG IS THE EXACT
OPPOSITE.
YOU ARE CHALLENGING MURPHY'S
LAW.
TRYING TO TAKE A TYPE-A
PERSONALITY AND WORK IT AROUND
TYPE-B SETTING MAKES MY LIFE
INTERESTING FOR CERTAIN.
SEAN: ZACH GIVES EACH AND EVERY
BUILD HIS ALL, AND LIKE WITH
THIS LATEST PROJECT, THAT CAN
MEAN UP TO A MONTH OF
AROUND-THE-CLOCK TINKERING,
TESTING, AND REWORKING.
ZACH: AT LEAST DURING -- WE CALL
IT GROUP SEASON FOR ME -- RUBE
SEASON FOR ME, DON'T TRY TO TALK
TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
IT WAS OUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
TWO DAYS AGO, WHICH WE ARE
POSTPONING FOR NOVEMBER.
I REMEMBERED WHILE BUYING GLOW
STICKS TO SHOOT OFF THE CANNON
-- OH, I SHOULD BUY HER A CARD.
SEAN: ZACH NORMALLY BUILDS OUT
IN L.A., SO BEING ABLE TO BE
CLOSE TO HOME FOR THIS PROJECT
WAS A MAJOR BONUS.
ZACH: BY FAR BIGGEST CLIENT WAS
ESPN -- ESPN SPORTS NATION.
ZACH: ANOTHER BIG ONE WAS
PEDDLER'S VILLAGE.
IT'S AN OUTDOOR MALL IN
PENNSYLVANIA, AND THAT WAS A
MACHINE DESIGNED TO RUN EVERY 10
MINUTES OUTSIDE FOR THREE MONTHS
LONG, SO THAT WAS A DIFFERENT
BEASSEAN: THE KINETIC ARTIST SAYS IT
IS NOT THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE A
LIVING, BUT FROM HAMSTER CAGES
TO CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, HE HAS JUST
THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS TO MAKE
REALLY COOL MACHINES.
ZACH: PERSISTENCE, A GOOD
IMAGINATION, AND A PILE OF JUNK,
IS I THINK THOMAS EDISON SAID.
SEAN: AND ALL THE HARD WORK --
WELL, IT MAKES ONE HECK OF A
ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@
íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@
ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TON
IGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORL
D NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC
WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABC
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABCH@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT íRFL @A[@H@ ABCABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ íRFLABC@A[@H@ ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABCíRFLABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT @A[@H@ ABC ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT H@ ABC ABC ABC