Here is something fun for your Friday morning. I came across an 18-min compilation of this awesome kids show that airs on NHK in Japan. I am just as enthralled by the show as my kids. One of my favorite segments is the Pythagorean Devices, known in the US as “Rube Goldberg machines.” Just watch. It’s addictive. Pee-tah-gola-suichi ♪
The Pythagorean Device segment is used as an opening and closing title sequence for the actual show. They are created by students in a Keio University lab under the wings of creative director Masashi Kawamura (who you may know through his direction of the music video Hibi no Neiro ). A similar chain reaction video by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss, in which all sorts of pyrotechnics were used, recently won them a prize. But what I like about the Pythagorean Device versions are that they just use random crap that’s lying around their lab. Their creativity never ceases to amaze me! I wish I had their job.
