This is what I make with LEGOs. Spaceships are my specialty.

This is what Apple software engineer Andrew Carol makes with LEGOs:

It’s a Babbage Difference Engine, a working model of a mid-19th century machine designed to “evaluate polynomials of the form Ax^2 + Bx + C for x=0, 1, 2, …n with 3 digit results.” I wish I understood what that meant, because whatever it is, this LEGO model actually does it. It’s a mechanical calculator. You crank it and make actual mathematical calculations.

Here’s a video of the engine in action.

You know what happens if you crank my LEGO spaceships? They fall apart. But you can make “pio! pio!” noises to simulate the sweet laser gun action.

Sigh.