Most Useless Feats of Engineering

[@Sideprojects]

Get the best offer at ridge.com/sideprojects and save up to 40% through March 26! Thank you, The Ridge Wallet, for the sponsorship.

[@bobsucks9647]

No; ridge wallets are for pedos

[@jaewok5G]

Cheverolet _was_ someone's name before it was a car brand … wait till you hear about ford, dodge, Chrysler, Ferrari, porsche, studebaker, Buick, dusenberg, and others kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWe7d2eIrbpqrrM

[@fookinl3048]

Pleasure keep up the good work

[@LorcanaTCGcast]

It is amazing that they would align themselves with "Most Useless Feats of Engineering"

[@diogeneslantern18]

Simon. Marvin Minsky is one the THE BIGGEST names in Artificial Intelligence. One of the founding fathers of the field, if you will.

[@CharlesGriswold]

The do-nothing machine isn't really a flying saucer detector; it's a device to protect us from flying saucers. The fact that there haven't been any credible reports of flying saucers since the the device was built is solid proof that it works.

[@tylerharry6319]

I mean, the US military recently said that they were seeing flying saucers, rather UAPs, hanging around the US, so I think that device is doing a shit job.

[@moshonn9318]

@@tylerharry6319 That's just because the US is out of range of the device. It works just fine, ESA has not reported any UAPs

[@Poshlly]

You mean the most credible? 😂

[@digitaltrekkie]

"Lisa, I would like to buy your rock."

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@tylerharry6319 Considering nobody has actually said "Flying Saucer" in their descriptions might mean it's working fine, and still bloody effective... The reports concern "Tik-Taks" so... um... apparently, when the saucers went out of service for it, the damned aliens found a "work around" and adapted... That's all. ;o)

[@andyb1653]

My parents built a useless machine, too. It's fond of watching KZbin videos by Simon Whistler

[@itsjustme1616]

Ah, i see what you did there 😂

[@cameronjacobs4422]

This deserves so much more love. 😂

[@oliverlemley9343]

Really??? My parents did this too!

[@Raging_Irishman]

Same

[@waknbakn420]

It's not totally useless it just made me laugh

[@SeanPat1001]

H-3 is useless to me because I live in New Mexico, but when I lived in Hawaii, I used it all the time.

[@TempRawr]

Was it worth 2 billion

[@SeanPat1001]

@@TempRawr I don’t know. Building highways is extremely expensive. Usually, the way highways are justified by looking at the cost savings for the people who use it. The savings could include travel time, fuel costs, auto maintenance costs, and possibly things like lower fire insurance rates, depending on the circumstances.

[@TempRawr]

@@SeanPat1001 I imagine it is worth it especially when federal govt fit the bill. But it one of those things when you look at public outcry, dmg to environment, and effective cost. It harder to justify. Why I think it unfair to call it useless on this list but still Godly expensive road for not much benefit. Glad it's pretty and lowers people's commute. As a Seattle Washington person I know how good local infrastructure is but sheesh how much of a waste of money and bad planning to build something only kind of useful

[@SeanPat1001]

@@TempRawr Well, there’s a four-lane highway in Waukegan, Illinois that literally goes to nowhere. It was used in a scene in a movie, but other than that, I don’t think anyone ever used it.

[@JerzyBoy973]

I feel like his research is limited sometimes. Like he didn’t ask a single local about it and just repeated what he saw in some documentary.

[@dansanger5340]

I drove the H-3 in Hawaii as a tourist, having never heard of the highway before. It is without a doubt the most stunningly scenic highway I have ever driven. Just the aesthetics of being one of the most scenic highways in the world gives it value. I also recall it providing a very significant shortcut between the east side of Oahu and my hotel, which was on the west side of the island, without having to drive through downtown Honolulu.

[@timacrow]

Same here. When I was staying in Kaneohe, I drove on H3 pretty much every day.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Hey Hawaiians, here is something to do with your highway: promote it as a tourist attraction.

[@sheldondunnjr]

Another comment on H3. What’s it’s primary purpose? To connect major military hubs (Kaneohe and Pear Harbor). But as others have also mentioned, it’s secondary purpose of being a shortcut from Eastern Oahu to central Oahu is extremely useful also. It probably saves an hour of driving, plus has much more capacity than the other route.

[@joelwright4317]

Having lived on Oahu, I disagree that H-3 is useless. Controversial? Maybe. But not useless. It was the most direct, fast, and convenient way to get to Kaneohe/Kailua from where I lived on the leeward side of the island. I used it all the time.

[@SRBONUS1912]

Former resident of Hawaii here, it was also very beautiful, now if you want controversial, that would be the monorail iirc.

[@kevinarteaga3824]

Agreed. I was a little confused by that, actually. Without H3, the only direct route through the island to Kailua is Pali hwy, and that can get pretty crowded.

[@Balthorium]

Yes I agree. More leftist condescension from Simon.

[@SEAZNDragon]

Visited Oahu a few weeks ago and H3 definitely didn’t seem useless to me going west to east on the island. Maybe not a interstate in the conventional sense but still does it’s job.

[@brandolando44]

Born and raised on Oahu, h3 is not useless.

[@cleanerben9636]

Using a Rube Goldberg machine to turn on tree lights seems like the perfect use for it. Just for the spectacle and building anticipation.

[@TheGrinningViking]

I wonder which machine would be the largest if they counted types of moving parts instead of total moving parts? There was much more variety and interest in the old largest rube Goldberg machine than the latest, which had more repeating devices.

[@ScionStorm1]

My brain envisioned the mayor as Goofy.

[@claytondennis8034]

I'm going to go ahead and say H3 is not useless. I lived on Oahu for 6 years. H3 starts very close to Pearl Harbor in a densely populated area on the leeward side, and takes you to Kaneohe, probably the most highly populated area of the windward side. It shortens trips around the island. It is beautiful.

[@euj0]

Yeah it was mostly for the military, that's why a lot of federal money was granted for the project.

[@claytondennis8034]

​@@euj0 the rail?..... yeah, that might be called useless.

[@DrAnac-qh5dc]

the H3 is only useless to someone who has no idea about island traffic. His ignorant comment that "it doesn't even go to Waikiki!" elides over the fact that the Likelike and Pali already serve that purpose.

[@jtjames79]

They also had to stop due to the haunting/curse. I'm not saying spirits are real. I'm just saying that perception was a big part of why they had to stop. TMT didn't learn anything.

[@jamievilfer7437]

@@jtjames79 When those Menehunes come and get you, don’t come crying! ❤

[@MikuHatsune39_01]

So I guess this means Simon needs to get a record player so he can finally get his novelty neon sign working.

[@stuff___idontknow2610]

Been on the h3 multiple times and I never once considered it useless, I don't know if I can say the same about our rail project.

[@redrust3]

H3 on Oahu is a vital corridor between west Oahu and the “Windward Side”, the northeastern shore. It fulfills the Defense Department requirement to rapidly move the 3rd Marine Regiment and its aviation and support units to Pearl Harbor naval base for deployment to east Asia. These are the westernmost bases of their kind on US territory. (Everything else is leased from foreign governments, which may impose restrictions on their use.) Next time American military deploys to Asia, it will be from these bases. Because the civilian economy in Hawaii is so interconnected with the military, H3 is vital for it as well. I used to drive to the Windward side for work, and it was always a nightmare during rush hour. H3 proved to be an excellent solution to these problems. Keep this in mind next time there is a crisis in East Asia. Political tension wth China, Russia, or North Korea. Humanitarian crisis In Philippines or Thailand. All of which have happened since the H3 opened.

[@mikewazouski1717]

I don't want to live in a world where fun and entertainment are pointless. Simon my good man do reconsider.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Correction: Interstate H-3 is used all the time. Its not useless. I don't know why this myth is so common. Hawai has the worst traffic out of any state making help with the states traffic problem by connecting between two major areas of traffic. Its also one of the most beautiful highways in the world.

[@enisra_bowman]

so then it's stupidly useless when you should have build a public transport system when you had a car problem americans, they never learn

[@braddahjerry]

@@enisra_bowman easy to criticize when you have no context or research of the topic.

[@enisra_bowman]

@@braddahjerry well, not doing any research never stopped americans in making or saying stupid things, like chewing a leg of bevor build a tram or changing their zoning laws to get rid of cardependency

[@professorpancakes6545]

"Its also one of the most beautiful highways in the world." The area would be nicer looking if it didn't have a highway though lol

[@claytondennis8034]

@@enisra_bowman Do some research. Oahu has a very good and effective bus system. It is building a rail system, and it uses HOV and Lane Zippers to dynamically route traffic flows, all while proactively protecting unique habitats/ species and trying to protect historic/religious/cultural sites in a limited area of land.

[@justineck5664]

The yucca mountain facility is actually complete. It's just not being used because of NIMBYs.

[@larryowsowitz2274]

And in the meantime high and low level waste builds up at facilities not designed to store them and aren’t as secure. Harry Reid- D Nevada facilitated preventing the use of Yucca mountain.

[@danidavis7912]

@@larryowsowitz2274 Harry Reid was a toad. I live a few miles from where he grew up. You won't find many here who cared for him.

[@matthewellisor5835]

Well, not "complete" but it IS functional (might need to be tidied-up a bit like any structure left vacant) as it was never intended to be completely excavated at the first phase. I'll have to go searching later but I recall that, with advancements in deep boring, nearly every facility could have 3 to 6 18" (~46cm) drilled far below any aquifer and into stable rock. That would be enough for all the high level waste and for any of the medium level that wouldn't be safe before decommissioning would be completed. Most of the medium and all of the low level are fine to store on site until they decay to safe levels. In the United States, a few hundred more reactors and we really could go nearly all EV. With that as baseline and as battery technology improves to make better use of intermittent sources it _could_ work. ::sigh:: I'll probably not try holding my breath.

[@troybaxter]

@@matthewellisor5835 we could but we sadly won’t. Politicians are too stupid to understand the importance of Yukka Mountain and Nuclear Power. Then again, this is what happens when you are stuck with useless dinosaurs that are still in office. Dinosaurs that couldn’t possibly understand how nuclear is the best and cleanest energy source out there, and NOT a ticking time bomb.

[@rochelle586]

@@larryowsowitz2274 and yet they named an airport after him 🤔

[@michaeldufresne9428]

I love Rube Goldberg devices. They are examples of creativity and imagination and make smile at some of the steps and you can't help but appreciate the ingenuity.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

They are basically the ultimate combination of "your scientists were so occupied wehter or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should" and "it is not about the destination but the things we saw along the way"

[@angelachouinard4581]

After the owners concocted some convoluted scheme for something, my boss who was English, said it was kike a "Heath Robinson Contraption". I asked what that was and he tried to explain, finally saying there was an exact American equivalent Immediately I realized he meant a Rube Goldberg device. If you love them, as I do, check out Heath Robinson. It's like Goldberg had a British twin..

[@MauiDave74]

Another Hawaii resident here (albeit Maui, not Oahu), but the H3 is not useless. I think whoever wrote this has never been there or been forced to drive around the island. H3 is a quick connection to the north side of the island. A lot of people live up there and commute to the Pearl/Honolulu area daily.

[@pbandj37]

You doing OK over there on Maui?

[@MauiDave74]

@pbandj37 I'm OK. I was just a couple of miles north of the fire. Lots of my coworkers lost everything though. It's going to be a very long rebuilding process. Mahalo for reaching out. It's amazing how many people, even random strangers have reached out.

[@pbandj37]

MauiDave: Glad you're good. We could smell the smoke over on O'ahu. It was giving people sore throats. Cannot imagine what it is/was like over there.

[@MauiDave74]

@@pbandj37 Basically 95% of old Lahaina town is burned down. Everything north of the Lahaina Civic Center is fine though. Just no internet and limited cell service. I'm actually sitting in a Starbucks in Kahului as I type this before heading back to Lahaina. I'm kind of numb to driving through it now. It's a bit like seeing pictures of Hiroshima honestly. It's literally burned to the ground and just ashes and burned out cars remain. They're still testing air and water quality to the burned out areas. Still searching for bodies too. Evacuation was a mess and disorganized. Plus a lot of elderly didn't want to leave their homes despite the rapid movement of the fire.

[@storkbomb7417]

"You've gotta have so much time on your hands if you're doing this..." "What's the guy from MIT doing doing this?" Simon's inability, in this and other videos, to understand that not everyone seeks to eliminate all of their free time with more work is endlessly amusing.

[@scottbubb2946]

When I started watching Simon, back when he was only on the top 5/10 list channel, I thought the videos were interesting and he had a pleasant voice. He started "Today I Found Out" and it was the same thing. Then, when he did Business Blaze, (now Brain Blaze) I saw how funny he was, and he started interjecting his options. Now, I basically tune in to his channels to see what his take is one things. It's almost like watching someone from another planet who doesn't know anything about pop culture and can't understand why humans do the things they do. Lol. I know he's an intelligent guy, it just cracks me up that he does things like what you've pointed out. Why would someone want to spend their free time doing something they enjoy just because they like it. ...does not compute... ...does not compute... Why would anyone watch a fantasy movie? It isn't real. Don't you know there are no such things as ghosts? Why would you ever read a ghost story? But that's why I like him. 😂

[@pakde8002]

​@Boco CorwinVirtue signaling on a video about useless things 👌

[@iWilburnYou]

@scott bubb See, when I started watching OGBB, I realized that Simon is basically a slightly older, British version of myself. It's quite remarkable just how many things I agree with him on, things of which I've previously formed my own opinions on that happen to coincide with his own.

[@cleanerben9636]

@Boco Corwin Yeah umm what does an engineering professor at MIT have to do with those?

[@tropicbliss1198]

The “what are they doing building when they could be curing cancer” comedic trope is pretty common, chillax

[@whitman911]

H3 is called an interstate because it's part of the Eisenhower Interstate System. Also, provides access to the Windward side of Oahu without driving all the way around the effing island!

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

In some way it's more of an intrastate than interstate :D

[@patrickwood250]

The H-3 is actually very useful when going from the windward side to the airport. Cut travel times by 30-50% for that trip. It also helped reduce traffic on the overloaded Pali highway and LikeLike highway

[@jrudy457]

I'm a DOE nuclear engineer involved in strategic planning for addressing the nuclear waste problem, and there is a different side to it that I don't see anyone talk about. We really DO have a serious nuclear waste problem, but it has nothing to do with safety or security (the casks used to store the waste are virtually indestructable/leakproof, and they are kept onsite at the nuclear power plants which are among the most highly guarded sites in the country). The actual problem is that the gov't made contractual agreements to the nuclear plants that the waste would be removed by the mid 90s for final storage at Yucca mountain, and every year to this day the plants successfully sue the gov't hundreds of millions for their objective breach of contract. On top of that, it is written into US law that Yucca mountain is the ONLY permanent storage location allowed, but thanks to the political deadlock that may never happen. And regardless of what you may hear, this is highly bipartisan; no politician, red or blue, wants to be the one to risk their reputation by associating themselves with any cost overruns and logistical complications that may occur, or for the stigma of pushing nuclear waste on the people protesting against it. It's muchhh easier to just focus on less controversial issues and let your successors deal with the messy stuff.

[@PeachM0de]

You’re entertaining and educational, Simon. Don’t sell yourself short.

[@duncancurtis5971]

What do his version of Sideshow Bob's Election stunt?

[@budwilliams6590]

If you happen to be a Marine stationed at B-Bay H3 is pretty useful.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

0:45 - Chapter 1 - The useless machine 3:00 - Chapter 2 - World's largest rube goldberg machine 5:25 - Mid roll ads 6:45 - Chapter 3 - Interstate H3 9:20 - Chapter 4 - Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository 12:05 - Chapter 5 - The do nothing machine

[@TheGrinningViking]

Thanks for the good work, Simon really needs a staffer to do basic error checking and time stamp these. He makes enough of them that it's reasonable.

[@FORxMLxESS]

As someone who uses the "road to nowhere" on an almost daily basis, I completely disagree with that title. As it connects to the H1 it may not lead directly to downtown Honolulu but it cuts travel time by an hour. I will however concede that it was stupidly expensive and does mar the landscape but useless it is not. While I dont like that it may have trampled my cultures historical sites I'm not gonna stop using something that is so convenient. Still love your vids but just thought I'd add my 2 cents

[@Mr2squids]

Same. I use the H-3 every day to get from Kaneohe to Wahiawa, and using it probably shaves at least 15 minutes off my commute versus using other routes. It was still stupidly expensive for what it is, tho. P.S. Your beard is still on point, Simon.

[@aaronring4704]

I was stationed at Pearl in the 90s. I wish I could remember the name of the place, but there was a seafood place in Kaneohe that I would not have frequented had it not been for H3, so I would disagree that it goes nowhere.

[@djrabbitt423]

Cheers Simon! ...once again, you and your team put out some amazing content. I'd like to suggest a video about 'monuments that no longer exist'... the general premise is around the fact the original World Trade Center monument for the parking garage bombing in 1993, and how it was destroyed in the 9/11 2001 attacks and largely forgotten.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Would monuments count that had to be relocated, destroying their original purpose?

[@knightwolf200612]

I really love the H3 Highway on Oahu. It's far from useless so I don't understand it's in this video. It connects the most populated areas on the east and west side of the island, through rough terrain and a high mountain range (hence the long tunnel). Unfortunately I've never been to Hawaii, or the USA, but it's still on my wish-list :) The stunning scenery alone is reason enough to go to Oahu.

[@melimsah]

2:43 Any time Simon goes off script to do a Casual Crim style rant on one of his more fact boy very scripted videos makes me so happy lol

[@davidcrabtree94]

Never been to Hawaii but there's a bridge in Alaska to no where. That might have been better since a lot of people love their H3

[@jacksons1010]

No, there is no “Bridge to Nowhere”. Republicans succeeded in getting the project killed, much to the chagrin of the people of Ketchikan, Alaska. The bridge was to connect the city to their airport, which is literally their lifeline to the outside world especially in winter. But you know how politics work once you brand something with a catchy slogan like “Bridge to Nowhere” and nobody cares that it definitely wasn’t nowhere…especially once you can get there.

[@AL-lh2ht]

come on guys "this highway is worthless" while you show a clip of said highway being heavily used.

[@Bubbaist]

I’d say the city of Naypyidaw, the empty Capitol of Myanmar/ Burma, is the world’s most useless mega project. Not to mention the nearly empty 20 lane highway that goes through it.

[@AL-lh2ht]

That project was made for one reason and one reason only. Its so the militay Junta could a base of operations outside of their main cities. If you are not aware Myanmar has the current second worse war on the planet right now. The milittary Junta built it to have better control over the country and be protected from the civil war. In context, why it was built is completely changes it..

[@helldad4689]

I've always heard the "useless machine" referred to as the "ultimate machine." One must take care though, as "the ultimate machine" is also a name I have heard applied to a specific design of glass pipe out of which DMT can be smoked. Hope this helps!

[@jessicalypso8839]

Interesting. I've never heard of a special pipe for DMT. I always smoked it through a regular glass weed pipe. I'd pack it with bud, sprinkle my DMT on top, take as big a rip as i could, & blast the fuck off...

[@ninjaswordtothehead]

Having taken DMT, that makes a surprising amount of sense.

[@proto-geek248]

Oh yes, this helps a LOT!

[@thinkinyblinko6666]

@@jessicalypso8839 it's called "the machine" and it's made using one of those square glass bottles that olive oil comes in, some steel wool, and a straw. Personally I think it's ridiculous and you should just get a $2 oil burner at the gas station. They call them glass roses and most people call them meth pipes but it's just an analog vaporizer. They work fantastic for cannabis wax and oil as well

[@helldad4689]

@@jessicalypso8839 It's basically a glass tube stuffed with copper wool. DMT is gently melted onto the copper wool, which is then heated with a flame. The copper conducts the heat so that the DMT all vaporizes at once and shoots up the tube and into your mouth and brain. It tastes like complete shit and hurts like hell.

[@nathanielmoore87]

The H3 was voted as one of the most beautiful highways in the world. It starts on both sides in fairly urban areas and almost immediately darts into uninhabited rainforest. Coming from the Honolulu side, you go into the tunnel at ground level and pop out on the other side almost 200ft above the rainforest canopy. It is a very useful highway in my opinion as it connects 2 very densely populated parts of the island and serves as a vital route for moving military personnel and equipment between the 2 bases. Lastly, it's not referred to locally as an interstate. It falls under the highway portion of the Eisenhower Interstate and Highway Plan. The H stands for Hawaii as Alaska has federal routes designated as A1, A2, etc. Those routes are not connected to the lower 48 so they don't get the more familiar I designation.

[@jasonvorhes765]

Its called the"Interstate and Defense Highways Act 1956" That's how Hawaii has a "interstate" highway. Notice the H3 was meant to connect military posts.

[@adriennefloreen]

When I bought my house in Humboldt County, California they made us sign a form stating that we were close enough to the decommissioned Humboldt bay nuclear power plant where the nuclear waste was still stored that in the event of a severe earthquake or tsunami or terrorist attack we could be in the radioactive zone and have to evacuate immediately. They verbally told us there were plans to move the nuclear waste to that Yucca mountain place, and at the time there were people protesting about the dangers of transporting it in trucks or on trains like if one crashed etc. so the nuclear waste is still there, they apparently moved it to more earthquake safe containers and lost some of it in the process. Perhaps the nuclear waste storage facility isn't pointless and should be finished and used. It's like the thing that scares me the most every time we have an earthquake and we seem to have recently had an increase in the number and severity and frequency of those here.

[@b_hug]

4:52 Anyone else have the urge to add: “and a cuddly toyyyyyy!” 😂

[@francoislacombe9071]

The Do Nothing machine actually does something. It speeds up the increase of the entropy in the universe

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

what was that about the scientist who doesn't stir their coffee because they don't want to actively decrease entropy

[@greenaum]

Marvin Minsky didn't just spend his time inventing the Useless Machine. He's a leading name in artificial intelligence, and computers generally. Any geek worth his salt knows who Minsky is.

[@watchthe1369]

Actually the H3 is a main military conduit between Kaneohe Bay, where a Marine Brigade is stationed, and Pearl Harbor. half the lanes were shutdown for deployment and return convoys before and after Desert Storm. without it you have an additional half hour of travel to get around the mountains making the spine of the island. The highway is on pillars to protect all the sites and wildlife you say were destroyed check your sources they be woke - bloke. The divide highway in Colorado has similar construction for a lot of the same reasons.

[@KnowingBetter]

Desert Storm? That's interesting considering the highway wasn't opened until 1997.

[@VosperCDN]

For the do nothing machine, if that's Norden bomb sight, those were from WWII (not WW1) used in US heavy bombers like B17/24's.

[@unknowngamer37415]

It was my understanding that nuclear power plants were charged in expectation that the account waste location would be where they would put their spent fuel and that after the canceling the project the government then had to refund them when they got sued for it. I do know the reason that it was picked though - yucca mountain was an extremely stable area and very easy to dig into that would never be expected for any geological event to bring any nuclear material up or jeopardize the integrity of the containment vessels

[@MrKockabilly]

That "useless box" actually is a toy. And as such it is actually useful. I guess more valuable than a million dollar painting whose only main function is to declare to the world that the owner supposedly is an "art-lover" and has money to own such a thing as a "conversation piece"

[@seasoncolorandpi]

I grew up in rural Nevada and my elementary school had a “nuclear waste spill drill” when the Yucca mountain thing was still going strong. It was wild. The older kids got to pretend to vomit by putting oatmeal and fruit cocktail in their mouths and spewing around the first responders. And no one told the parents of the town, so when the sirens went off, they initially thought there was an actual problem at the school.

[@Beryllahawk]

Did anybody else remember that one Ok Go music video involving a very silly and fun Rube Goldberg machine? "This Too Shall Pass" ? Surprised that one didn't win any awards for size in its time.

[@pohldriver]

There was a stretch of US 222 outside of Reading, was called The Road to Nowhere. Early in my father's trucking career, he hauled materials to build it. It was planned to go from Allentown to Lancaster via Reading. Reading was still a bustling city in those days, and trucking was pushing the railroads down, so highways were quite important for the area's prosperity. But, by the time they got the first 20 or so miles done, all the heavy truck traffic had already ripped up the new road. The cost to rebuild that section ate up the rest of the budget for that segment, and construction was halted...for 25 years. In the 1990s it was finally connected to the 422 bypass (West Shore Bypass) and 222 by way of a ramp that gets backed up because of a sharp curve. The area that should have allowed a seamless transition had been built up in the 1980s. Now you can go from Lancaster to the eastern end of The Road to Nowhere with relative ease. Then you're dumped onto regular 222, a highly congested two lane that's existed since, like the 1930s. The problem now is the path in that area is on the National Registry of Historic places and would be nearly impossible to build a parallel highway. As a history preservationist, I love that...as a truck driver, that sucks.

[@DarkZodiacZZ]

Now I really want to see an episode about most useful feats of engineering for the money they cost.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

The accidental invention of Bakelite, and development of Teflon would be a start.

[@JoshuaTootell]

I feel like the band OK Go deserves an honorable mention at 2:58

[@MeanBeanComedy]

"All the other feats of engineering we've discussed today have a purpose..." *#1: The Useless Machine*

[@richardfellows5041]

While it is fun to find humor in useless machines, I would like to point out two things; 1. Most of the machines I worked on and the companies I worked for are no longer made or no longer exist. 2. My brother, a computer scientist (with nearly 20k citations), pointed out that most scientific papers are never read except by the journal reviewers, and never cited.

[@capndave9152]

Hawaii has freeways so you can move troops from all parts of Oahu to Pearl Harbor. So H-3 isn’t useless. Moves US Marines from K-bay to Pearl Harbor.

[@danidavis7912]

When I was a kid in the 70s, I had a "Do Nothing Box". When you flipped the switch there was a bank of lights like from a panel on the original Enterprise when the computer would say, "WORKING", when asked a question. They would blink randomly for a few seconds and then stop.

[@Im-Not-a-Dog]

My parents made the ultimate Useless Machine....

[@kimhohlmayer7018]

I was eight or nine when Mouse Trap first came out. I was an only child and seldom had a friend over to play the game with me. When I did get to play it the trap seldom worked properly. Still, the set up of it all was entertaining and gave me a life long love of Rube Goldberg. There’s a music group that creates such devices as an integral part of their music and videos.

[@BillFromAZ]

Regarding the H-3....it serves a HUGE purpose for Hawaii. I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, but it is all about federal (government) funds for roads and infrastructure. In the U.S., you must have an interstate to receive federal funding for roads. Since Hawaii doesn't connect to any other states a special rule or exception was created. The 'H' roads (H-1, H-2, and H-3) all meet the requirement for Hawaii to receive federal funds.

[@Happymali10]

The "do-nothing-machine" is decorative, which makes it no longer do nothing.

[@grilnam9945]

Looking for a follow up to this video which mentions HS2 in UK

[@rg807]

I had a friend who was a geological engineer. He spent 20 YEARS working on Yucca Mtn. Every year he'd basically do the same report: Yucca Mtn is one of the most stable pieces of dirt on the planet, and the Yucca Mtn project is a phenomenal place to store nuclear waste. Why aren't we using it? This is sadly due entirely due to politics. Yucca Mtn should be in use, but unfortunately it's not.

[@neilsheppard6673]

I really enjoyed that. The Do Nothing machine reminds me of Babbage's Difference engine. Btw Simon, what about the Key Case? I've not seen one of those and you only mentioned the card holder.

[@JayDawn01]

Hey yaaa....what gives

[@mikaboshia]

Brain blaze is infecting Simon's other channels and I love it!

[@pmgn8444]

Does our favorite Fact Boi still have his personalized neon sign? Inquiring minds would like to know!

[@stevejester5658]

He does

[@ishmaelmusgrave]

RIP "The Sign..."

[@marcalvarez4890]

H3 is gorgeous and the fastest way to get to the other side of Oahu....i just drove it today and marveled at the speed and views. It also serves as an alternative when the other tunnels are shut from landlslides, accidents, and unexpected events. Im very happy and grateful it exits.

[@BardovBacchus]

I love mechanical clock work gadgets, and Rube Goldberg contraptions are my favorite. I could watch the Jolly Ball display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry for hours and hours. My Grand Dad would say; Gene, Gene made a machine. Frank, Frank turned the crank. Vern, Vern made it turn. Joe, Joe, made it go. Art, Art, blew a fart and blew the whole damn thing apart

[@darraghtate440]

T be fair, Marvin Minsky DID also create AI, so that gives him a pass for making the Useless Machine

[@capnstewy55]

Those useless machine boxes are hilarious.

[@memyself3510]

“But it doesnt do anything!” “No-it does nothing” Ifykyk

[@SaylerT]

There are a couple hilarious videos of Useless Machines made from Lego. One of the builders got into an antagonistic battle with his.

[@pseudotasuki]

Most of the money for Yucca Mountain comes from a tax on nuclear fuel. Funding is not a problem, as there's a massive pile of dough just sitting in a bank account waiting to be spent. Also, the "large hole" makes a lot of sense in the context that the "waste" is still mostly fuel. We have technology which would allow it to be reused, so making the fuel retrievable is important.

[@meola69420]

I think a lot of people have turntables, vinyl is currently on an unbelievable comeback. In 2020, they outsold CDs, a feat that was last done in 1986. And in 2023 there were almost twice the sales of vinyl as there were CDs. Metallica is actually opening a new vinyl pressing facility, which has got to be something that hasn't happened in a while. I remember Jack White saying that it was taking like 7-8 month backlog to press an album, and this was only a couple of years ago. I'm all for it as a vinyl hipster, I took my parents albums when they went to CDs and never went back. Being able to easily buy new pressings and even more vinyl pressing that would've never come to my market before Amazon, love it! Don't get me wrong, analog media is dead compared to streaming or digital; however, it's nice to come home, put on Dark Side and smoke a fatty! Combined with a nice vintage Japanese amp and some tower speakers, your neighbour can enjoy the tunes too!

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

Minsky also invented a "gravity machine" that would ring a bell if the gravitational constant were to change, a theoretical possibility that is not expected to occur in the foreseeable future.

[@BladedAngel]

3:50 Oh c'mon Simon! Chevrolet is still a name, in fact, most car company names are from actual human names. Louis Chevrolet is the most prominent figure with said name. Long before Tesla was used as a Car Company name, I've met a few people named Tesla, Edison, etc. The coolest name I've met, was someone named Zeus, while I was in University! So even Mythlogical God Names weren't off limits. BTW that dude was cool asf, a good friend in University.

[@vic5015]

Buildibg Rube Goldberg machines is simply what electrical and mechanical engineers do when they're bored. Living in Silicon Valley, I have plenty of friends who are engineers abd I've seen this first-hand.

[@qzwxecrv0192837465]

Visited my son on Oahu when he was in the navy. As previously stated, it has a purpose, it just doesn’t dump off in the city proper. The trip from Honolulu to the base would be much long and slower, even today of H3 didn’t exist

[@nulllex0099]

I can see why a video on absurdism had this in its recommendations XD Good to see you again, Simon. It's great to see you keeping your style.

[@BaronVonQuiply]

03:46 I went to check if that was Chevy Chase's real name. Nope. It's Cornelius. Cornelius Crane Chase.

[@TranscendianIntendor]

My family connect to his is that my Grandfather White, later an Episcopal Priest had been the Design Chief Leader for the scientists and engineers creating the Norden Bomb sight and would have very likelihood directed the storage of excess parts for that machine.

[@FaceEatingOwl]

Hello, Simon.

[@th232r6]

H-3 is amazing, drove it near daily as I was dating a girl in Kailua and I lived in Honolulu.

[@brianreiner8855]

I think the whole point of a Rube Goldberg machine is like the saying it's not the destination it's the journey. It's all about whimsical fun.

[@mbarker_lng]

I worked on a computer system that could have been described as a Goldberg Machine. For example, you could set the value of a variable like so: FirstName = "John". But that would be too simple. The way it did it was call a service, that called another service, that called a class which extended another class by adding ONE function (the one being called) which used a Lamba function to set a hardcoded/static value to a variable then returned that all the way back to the caller. After working on this nightmare for 9 months and realizing that every day was just another journey into frustration, I found another job.

[@TrineDaely]

The beauty of the last one is that if it's still intact 100 or 500 years from now it can still serve its original purpose. Or just confuse future archeologists, which is almost as good.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

and that is why I want to be buried with an elephant tusk, just to confuse future archaeologists.

[@neilmckay8649]

@2:54 making some money from a useless machine is much more useful than finding out what happened before the big bang 🎉

[@AtheistOrphan]

0:46 - ‘Milarn Italy’ - I’ve never heard Milan pronounced that way before.

[@brachio1000]

13:17 -- Not industry magazines. Widely circulated and quite popular.

[@galm7]

The H-3 is very much not useless.

[@SpontaneousCMan]

Simon for real out here saying few people own turntables when vinyl records outsold other phsyical media in 2022. Bless you, Fact Boy

[@tonyj8949]

So, I live in Kailua, Hawaii and work in Ewa, Hawaii. Without the H-3 my commute would be HOURS. When other routes between one side of the island and the other take a meandering two lane drive around the coast, having a direct artery to get from one side to the other is critical.

[@trayolphia5756]

A bit of trivia from the old days of the original series of STAR TREK…some of the props in the Jeffries tubes were labelled with GNDN Goes Nowhere Does Nothing

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

My favorite version of the useless box is one that doubles as piggy bank and becomes less useful. Instead of the box switching the switch back to "off", a hand comes out and grabs the coin.

[@stratometal]

They are not THAT useless, they are entertaining, funny and you can learn something about engineering. Oh and also they are useful for making this video... 🤣 Seriously, thanks for the fun, love your vids.

[@MaxRideout]

Silly me, I always thought "The Do Nothing Machine" was an alternate name for the US Congress!

[@Etschmall123]

Simon needs his novelty neon sign back

[@kwgm8578]

Hello Simon. Late to the party, but that's because I'm old. I get away with a lot. I was trained as an electronic engineer and built an electronic Rube Goldberg machine as a Junior level senior project. As you can imagine, my professor and my lab monitor both disapproved, and it was the only time I received a D grade for the class. It was worth 1 point in a degree that required 160,and I managed to get what I needed to graduate by receiving 1 point for class participation by a friend who was an instructor in the school. That was a long time ago. The real reason why engineers want to build useless machines, my hypothesis involves the number of times we all were called upon to create something, that we sweat blood over to meet the criteria, and do so with size or weight or power limitations, the item we made was scrapped by the "suits" for what ever reasons. That frustration, as engineers like to see their creations in action, gives us the urge to build something to that does nothing but flash lights, trip relays, spin gears that move levered beams that open and close venetian blinds, and a dozen others. That's the source of this machine, the satisfaction of seeing your product in use. Anyone agree?

[@BillFromAZ]

Another bit of trivia about H-3....it was nicknamed the Road to Nowhere because it wasn't finished when expected. It came to a sudden end at one point. I left Oahu in 1988, so I don't know if the H-3 has ever been finished.

[@SarcasticSloth69]

8:06 instead of H-3 you shoulda talked about our current monorail project that’s been under construction for as long as I could remember. It started around when I was in 7th-8th grade. I graduated college already back in 2021 and am a working adult and it still hasn’t been completely built 😂

[@TheCpHaddock]

Dude, I really liked your more serious, "not simping to get more subs" character much more!

[@watchthe1369]

I worked in Yucca Mountain, the costs are mainly from legal fees, legislative passive resistance and other eco-activist bullcrap. The tunnel is right in the middle of the nuclear test site for the USA, and would have been the best of the original 8 sites they started considering for a nuclear burial site. The price of Yucca likel includes the Environment Impact studies for the other 7 failed sights. Obama closed it down by decree during his administration and all the nuclear waste is sitting at the site it was generated at, waiting for a smart terrorist to snatch it up a casket with a heavy lift helo.........

[@jojo-pk]

Many of those are only useless if you consider playful learning, fun and art useless. Fun fact: the science museum in Amsterdam uses a rube goldberg machine to teach basic concepts in physics.

[@Nefville]

Marvin Minsky co-founded the _entire_ field of artificial intelligence, founded MIT's AI lab, wrote a number of books on AI and won the Turing award in 1969 as well as countless other awards. There are few scientists who ever lived that were as accomplished in their fields as Minsky. He did a LOT more than create a useless box lol. Unfortunately he died in 2016.

[@larryfromwisconsin9970]

I lived many years in Hawaii, both before and after H3 was completed. H3 goes places and is heavily traveled by commuters. It frees up traffic on the coast road too.