What is it about useless machines that makes them so attractive to build? After all, they’re meant to be low-key enraging. At this point, the name of the game is more about giving that faceless enemy ...

Useless machines are a fun class of devices which typically turn themselves off once they are switched on, hence their name. Even though there’s no real point, they’re fun to build and to operate ...

All week long, our podcast Input/Output digs into the big ideas, fascinating personalities, and important stories from the pages of Input. You'll hear from the editors and writers behind the headlines ...

Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading. The world’s most useless machine, which is essentially a small electronic box that turns itself off whenever you try to turn it on, first made ...