Watering a potted plant is already complicated enough by itself, which is why I’m so perplexed that the engineering students over at Purdue University would want to add an additional 243 steps to that process. And yet they have, and now here we are, celebrating together the overachievements of those select few, because on top of building a behemoth of a Rube Goldberg machine, they’ve also managed to set a new world record. Aptly named The Time Machine, the record-setting contraption uses 244 steps, all unfolding during different periods throughout world history, working in unison until eventually (and simply enough) a tiny plastic plant is watered. This latest record holder surpasses the previous Rube Goldberg champion by an astonishing 14 steps, meaning that if you’re looking to date someone who likes to overcomplicate even the simplest of tasks, the Purdue student campus is your strongest bet.
Video after the jump:
[via HackaDay]