A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg. Wiki

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version

For the video, OK Go enlisted the help of Synn Labs to build the
monstrous contraption. As Adam Sadowsky, president of Synn Labs,
explained to Wired.com, "a Rube Goldberg machine is in its essence a
trial-and-error thing."

For it to work, every action and reaction needs to be precise for the
full range of events to occur. That, Sadowsky says, is the most trying
and time consuming part. "It took about a month and a half of very
intense work, with people on-site all the time," Sadowsky said. About
60 people worked on building the machine.

Here's the original video, youtube embedding is disabled :( A neat Vid none the less.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Original

Ok Go also made of my favorite videos of all time...

OK Go - Here It Goes Again

Yes, I'm easily amused
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Oh yeah, I really like this song too, except the electric thing they do in it. Once you hear it, you'll know what I'm referring to. I don't know but it annoys me:p

OK Go - Shooting The Moon @ Monolith Festival - Red Rocks Amphitheatre 9/12/09

I'm going on a road trip for the weekend but when I get back I will make a post further explaining A Rube Goldberg machine and give some more examples of it.