Last Day of Classes for Fall 2000

December 1, 2000

On the last day of classes, there was the usual excitement at Caltech. The Fleming cannon was fired and there was a bubbly at Millikan. In addition, this year, the Moles set up an peculiar Rube Goldberg-type machine on the Olive Walk to celebrate the end of classes.

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Part of the machine was a PVC reindeer that squirts water out of its antlers. When greater water pressure is applied, the streams will set off the next part of the machine.

A fiery wick sets off at the start of the machine.

It burns more rapidly as it reaches the end.

At the end, a candle burns through a string.

And so on...

An air cannon awaits at the end of the machine, prepared to blow a sandwich to oblivion.

A set of heating ducts falls like dominoes.

Finally, the sandwich is blown to bits.