Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
I'M AURIE SWARTZ WITH "BOILER BYTES."
LET'S SEE JUST HOW CREATIVE THESE ENGINEERS CAN BE.
HIT IT, ZACH.
YEAH, LET'S HAVE SOME FUN!
INSPIRED BY CARTOONIST RUBE GOLDBERG,
COLLEGE STUDENTS COMPETE TO DESIGN A MACHINE THAT USES
AT LEAST 20 STEPS TO COMPLETE A SIMPLE TASK.
THIS YEAR'S TASK IS TO DISPENSE AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT
OF HAND SANITIZER IN SOMEONE'S HAND.
I'M HERE IN THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE WITH KEEGAN KLAUKE,
THE NATIONAL CHAIRMAN FOR THE RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE CONTEST.
KEEGAN, WHAT EXACTLY IS A RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE,
AND WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE CONTEST TODAY?
WELL, A RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE IS ACTUALLY A MACHINE
THAT STUDENTS BUILD TO PROMOTE ENGINEERING AND CREATIVITY
WITHIN THE EDUCATIONAL FIELD.
ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHO COMPETE IN THIS CONTEST ALSO HAVE
TO SHOW A LOT OF TEAMWORK, A LOT OF CREATIVITY,
AND A LOT OF ENGINEERING CONCEPTS
THAT AREN'T USUALLY TAUGHT IN A NORMAL CLASSROOM AREA.
THIS COMPETITION IS OUR PRIDE AND JOY
AT THETA TAU IN PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
IT IS... THE ONE AND ONLY ENGINEERING COMPETITION
WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY DESIGN AND BE CREATIVE,
ALMOST AS CREATIVE AS YOUR MIND CAN MAKE IT IN A 6'x6'x6' BOX.
TO BUILD A MACHINE LIKE THIS WITH THIS SIZE, IT TAKES A LOT
OF TIME, A LOT OF COMMITMENT,
AND A WHOLE LOT OF CREATIVE IDEAS.
THE EVENT'S SO FUN JUST BECAUSE WHO GETS
TO BUILD ONE OF THESE THINGS?
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE -- I MEAN, EVERYONE COULD DO IT
IF THEY HAVE THE TIME, THE EFFORT, THE PARTS,
AND MATERIALS, BUT NOT EVERYONE DOES GET THE CHANCE.
NORMALLY IN SCHOOL PROJECTS, WE HAVE TO MAKE, LIKE, A REGULAR,
YOU KNOW, BORING PROJECT.
SO WITH RUBE GOLDBERG,
WE ARE ABLE TO EXPRESS OUR CREATIVE SIDE.
AND SO WITH THIS, LIKE, WE CAN DO WHATEVER.
WE CAN DO RAMPS, WE CAN DO PULLEYS, WE CAN DO CATAPULTS --
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER OUR HEART'S DESIRE.
EVEN THOUGH PURDUE AND THETA TAU HOSTS THE COLLEGE COMPETITION,
THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS HOSTS THE
HIGH-SCHOOL COMPETITION.
SO, THIS WAY, THEY GET INTO IT AS MUCH AS WE DO, AND THEY WORK
AS HARD AS WE DO, IF NOT HARDER.
AND, HOPEFULLY, IN THE END, IF THEY DO DECIDE TO COME
TO PURDUE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN SOME
OF OUR COLLEGE COMPETITIONS.
THIS PROJECT HAS ACTUALLY PREPARED ME.
IT TAUGHT ME PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS.
WE DIDN'T JUST THROW IT TOGETHER AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY.
WE SPENT A COUPLE MONTHS TWEAKING IT.
AND IT -- IT TAUGHT ME TEAMWORK, WORKING WITH ALL
OF THESE HARD-WORKING FOLKS.
AND IT TAUGHT ME JUST HOW YOU CAN LINK RANDOM THINGS TOGETHER.
SOME OF THE LIFE SKILLS THAT WE LEARNED IS TIME MANAGEMENT
'CAUSE THAT'S A BIGGIE.
AND OTHERS ARE JUST SIMPLE THOUGHTS
LIKE THINKING ONE STEP AHEAD.
WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AFTER THIS HAPPENS?
WHAT'S ANOTHER WAY TO MADE THIS STEP RUN
IF WE NEED A FALLBACK 967 PLAN?
THE REASON WHY I CAME OUT, I THOUGHT IT'D BE INTERESTING
TO SUPPORT BOTH THE COLLEGE STUDENTS
AND THE HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS BECAUSE THIS IS FUN,
BUT YET IT KIND OF APPLIES SOME OF THE ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES
THAT THEY'VE LEARNED AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER KIND OF --
SOME OF THE EDUCATION THAT THEY'RE GETTING.
SO, BOTH FUN, EXCITING FOR EVERYBODY, BOTH THE STUDENTS
WHO ARE DOING THE PROJECT AND FOR THE SPECTATORS.
AND THE FIRST-PLACE WINNER
OF THE 2010 RUBE GOLDBERG LOCAL CONTEST THE PURDUE SOCIETY
OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS.
I THINK IT'S AWESOME THAT PURDUE HOSTS THIS COMPETITION EVERY
YEAR JUST BECAUSE PURDUE IS WHEN YOU THINK OF PURDUE,
YOU THINK ENGINEERING.
ENGINEERING STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM PURDUE, THEY'RE THE PEOPLE
THAT COMPANIES WANT TO HIRE.
SO, WHILE AN ELECTRIC COIL, A PARROT, A BOXING GLOVE,
AND HAND SANITIZER MAY NOT MAKE SENSE TO YOU,
IT ALL MAKES SENSE HERE AT THE RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE CONTEST.
FOR "BOILER BYTES," I'M AURIE SWARTZ.