#pythagorean device

So you might wonder what the joke is during Time Bokan 24′s 15th episode, "Pythagoras Was Actually a Genius of ______!"  Well, though the episode calls them “trick mechanisms”, the elaborate devices have different names in different regions: the US calls them “Rube Goldberg machines”, while the Britain uses “Heath Robinson contraptions”.

And Japan?  Well, they’re called “Pythagorean devices”!  In fact, for 15 years running now Japanese TV network NHK has aired an educational show for young children called “PythagoraSwitch”.  This show notably uses Pythagorean devices between its various segments.  You might have seen clips from this show online!