4 Years of Spectacularly Pointless Marble Machines

So very pointless, yet unquestionably spectacular. The best kind of "art" performs no other function than to delight the viewer, and Japanese YouTube user Denha's complex marble machines do just that. But are marble machines art? You can call them that—or toys, scientific contraptions, engineering feats—but however you choose to label them, the best marble machines are complicated, skillfully crafted, and driven by the principles of potential energy, kinetic energy and gravity.

Denha has been making marble machine for the past four years, and recently compiled a "chronicle" of all of his contraptions. Visit his blog to see all the YouTubers so inspired by Denha's contraptions, they made their own copycat versions. Below, the "history" of Denha's machines.

Another marble-machine-making genius:

• Creator Spotlight: Matthias Wandel, Prolific Woodworking Machinist.