Lego Mindstorms is a brilliantly simple combination of sensors, actuators, and logic control that can be made to do the most devious and delightful things. Like this lego maniac who built an air-powered V8 engine with a rev counter on one of the cams. That counter tells us this baby can crank up to 1440 RPM, and that's without any kind of lubrication system.

The big Space Police Mission Commander (6986) is another personal favorite of mine. Except it was quite tough for the poor kids to build; As designers we sometimes forgot that while we became better and better at creating advanced designs over time, there were new 6- or 7-year-olds who had to be able to build them (and even if it has an 8+ age marking on the box, the younger kids will still get the models for birthdays, Christmas etc.)

Yeah, the Mission Commander is awesome.

The LEGO brick turns 50 at exactly 1:58 p.m. today, January 28, 2008.

Legos, excuse me, LEGO bricks, are awesome. I secretly wish I still had the Mission Commander that came out when I was six.