Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist, inventor, and engineer who lived from 1883 to 1970.  He became famous making contraption that did simple tasks in really complicated and funny ways.  These contraptions, now known as "Rube Goldberg machines" involve a series of interconnected and complex steps to achieve a basic goal.  Imagine a toy car knocking over dominoes, which then make a marble roll down a track, and finally, the marble pops a balloon!  It's like a big chain reaction of silly steps that end with something fun happening!