Rube Goldberg machine - Wikipedia
quote:
A Rube Goldberg machine is a fabulously overengineered apparatus that humorously performs a very simple task in very indirect and convoluted fashion (thus absurdly violating the principle of parsimony).
In my opinion, any Rube Goldberg machine would be a product of intelligent design. Whether you would call it good design is another matter.
If you have a RG design that can't be built, that would seem to be a bad design.
If you have a RG design that can be built, but does not work reasonably well or at all, that would seem to be a less bad design.
If you have a RG design that can be built and actually does the intended function reasonably well - Good design or bad design? Depending on how you look at it. It could be either or perhaps both at the same time.
That's one thing that has always bothered me, about the intelligent design concept. It's easy to come up with an intelligent design. Implementing that design is a whole nother trick.
Moose
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