Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. Goldberg is well known for his popular cartoons depicting gadgets that perform simple tasks in indirect and complex ways. Many inventors and engineers have created Rube Goldberg machines that use a series of reactions to achieve one simple task. These inventors and engineers must be creative and use flexible thinking to brainstorm, test, and revise their creations. Below is a video that shows some Rube Goldberg machines and explains how to create your own.