The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) has been running a show called “Pitagora Suicchi” ピタゴラスイッチ, (direct translation: “Pythagorean Switch”) for about 4 years now. It is an educational show overseen by Masahiko Satou (佐藤雅彦), aimed at assisting the development of kids minds, allowing them to think differently.
The program is mainly puppet based and really is only directed at young kids. However, of more interest for us kids at heart, the show is augmented with short sequences of contraptions called “Pitagora Souchi” (ピタゴラ装置). In English these are called “Rube Goldberg machines” (exceedingly complex devices that perform simple tasks in very indirect and convoluted ways). 
These creations, as with most other cool gadgets and technology in the last century, have been perfected by the Japanese. Despite only using simple household items, they are mesmerising to watch, and must take days, or even weeks to perfect. I used to get frustrated with Dominos when I was a kid, but imagine trying to get something like these working!
To watch the video of Pitagora Souchi‘s gathered from many episodes of the show, just press the play button below. Enjoy!
[youtube]Q5nmspVOz_Y[/youtube]
There is a whole episode of the show avaiable here too.
Thanks Blue. That reminds me of “cog” the famous UK ad for the Honda accord where they dismantled two accords in order to build a Rube Goldberg machine using the parts. My favorite part is around the 1:20 mark where the windscreen wipers start dancing. Apparently the machine didn’t work perfectly until the 606th shoot. Rob Steiner, the director in charge of the ad said at the time that one of the biggest problems was the heat that radiated from the strong stage lights used in the shoot (the heat caused the wooden floorboards to expand and change the balance of some of the contraptions). For anybody who hasn’t seen the full 2 minute commercial you should check it out here on youtube. Honda claims that the entire shoot is natural and they didn’t use CGI. You’ll be forgiven for disbelieving, legend has it that even the board of directors back in Japan didn’t believe it was real on their first screening. It seems as though the Japanese aren’t the only nationality who take pride in their Rube Goldberg machines, Blue.
Red, I just checked out the movie. That was great, a must watch. I wish there was more classy advertising on TV these days, and then I would actually sit through the ads…
Thanks for your input.
in a similar vein, here is an interesting version of how a Pitagora Kid would watch the TV…
Hey, Rube Goldberg machines are called “Heath Robinson machines” in (UK) English.