Marble machines are the kind of useless mechanisms that everybody loves. Their sole purpose is to route marbles through different paths for your viewing pleasure. They can be extremely complicated ...

Netherlands-based YouTuber and “designer of prototypical machines” Daniel de Bruin posted a pair of videos featuring a “miniature marble machine” – and the little contraption is mesmerizing. It’s a ...

It’s easy to get sucked into the increasing the complexity when sometimes the craftsmanship can be what makes the project. [Alex Weber] proves the point with his minimalist marble machine. There are ...

This article was taken from the September 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content ...

For his entry in a cake decorating, sugarcraft and baking expo, engineer Martin Raynsford decided to make an edible version of his laser cut marble machine kit. The contraption had to be scaled up and ...

While this is authentic footage of a genuine product, the "perpetual" marble machine does not operate infinitely without an additional energy source. Rather, it uses batteries and a magnet to create ...

“First, it’s important to say I didn’t invent the culture of the marble machines,” Martin Molin says. “Are you aware of the marble machine culture? It’s such a scene.” I was not aware of such a scene, ...

Over the centuries, man has developed wonderful and intricate instruments that would delight our ears and pluck at our heartstrings. But what if you could somewhat undo all that and replace them with ...

Back in 2016, we featured a stunning wooden machine that employed falling steel marbles to play a merry tune. As plans are drawn up for a new version, its builder has looked back to the designs of ...