Do  you remember the game Mouse Trap? You begin by setting up a series of chain reaction events that can be triggered by a metallic marble that triggers a movement or action that triggers another action.

 

This is referred to as a Rube Goldberg.  According to www.biography.com Rube Goldberg was an American cartoonist who was awarded teh Pulitzer prize for his editorial cartoon. He often times jested and jabbed at America and it's obsession with technology. 

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