Rube Goldberg machines get their name from a famous American cartoonist of the same name who became famous by creating popular cartoons which depicted elaborate devices that would perform simple tasks.
If you’ve every watched cartoons such as Betty Boop or if you’ve played the game Mousetrap, you’ll know what a Rube Goldberg machine is. Now that you know what a Rube Goldberg machine is, watch this awesome video of one in action built using Garry’s Mod for Half Life 2.