2. The completed list of moves (commands) is your program. Give your program to your game partner and ask them to follow your moves exactly, even if it means not following the game boundary lines on the sheet. If your program crosses the game boundary lines or over itself, it’s buggy. Debug your program by altering the moves (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Instead of following the boundary lines, your partner should follow the commands to connect the dots.

3. You can create a program for one of the shapes shown in figure 3, or draw your own design on dot paper (see here) and craft a program for your partner to follow.

Fig. 3: Four sample dot-programming templates you can use.

3. Commands can be location specific. One of the most useful commands is the /tp command to teleport users around the world. Type /tp with coordinates to teleport yourself to a new location (fig. 2). An example is /tp 100 75 -270. When playing with others, teleport to them by typing /tp (person being teleported) (person at location). An example is /tp cscottsy escottsy (this command will send cscottsy to escottsy). For more on coordinates, review Lab 5.

Fig. 2: Teleport anywhere in the world and to other players using the simple /tp command.

5. With the /summon command, things get interesting. You can summon much more than a regular creeper or cow. With a few additions to a command or argument, you can change their characteristics. Type /summon and then press the tab key to see a list of options. An example is /summon chicken ~ ~1 ~ {CustomName:“Cluck_cluck”,CustomNameVisible:1} (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: We summoned a chicken with a visible name, named Cluck_cluck one block above our coordinates.

6. Super enchant a diamond sword by typing /give @p minecraft:diamond_sword 1 0 {ench:[{id:16,lvl:32767},{id:21,lvl:32767},{id:20,lvl:32767}]}. This command will give you a diamond sword with Sharpness (16), Looting (21), and Fire Aspect (20) at a maximum level of 32767 (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Use this table as you craft your own enchanted tools. Don’t forget to share super- powerful items with your friends.

3. Our machine has six different reactions. A swinging ball hits the train that rolls into the dominoes. The dominoes hit the larger blocks, which hit the large wood train track pieces. The train track pieces fall onto the books, which tumble onto the electrical switch to turn on the fan (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: This run has six reactions. Notice the small wood tree taped onto the power switch to make sure the fan turns on.

4. It takes several tries to have one successful start-to-finish run (fig. 3). Don’t worry if it takes dozens of attempts, as the best Rube Goldberg machines require a lot of patience.

Fig. 3: It takes patience to devise a successful start-to-finish run.

2. To start our Rube Goldberg chain reaction machine, we fire an arrow at a wooden button placed on the side of a dispenser. The dispenser releases a piece of redstone dust that flows down the river (fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Firing the arrow at the button causes the dispenser to release redstone dust that flows down the river and into the chest.

3. At the end of the river, the redstone enters the hopper. The hopper moves the redstone into the chest. Once the chest has the redstone, the redstone comparator is activated (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Notice the half slab used to create an end to the river. Without the half slab, the water will flow out in all directions.

4. The redstone comparator sends a signal through redstone to activate the sticky piston. A slime block on the end of the sticky piston pushes the armor stand down the icy runway. The armor stand ends on a stone pressure plate (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Hoppers are clever items. In this build, we’re using a hopper to transfer the redstone dust collected from the end of the river into the chest.

5. The stone pressure plate sends a redstone signal to a powered redstone rail. Place a cart on top of the redstone rail. The block immediately behind the cart forces the cart to move once the redstone rail becomes powered (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Be sure to add the block behind the minecart. Customize your build by adding or removing rail.

6. The cart rides the rail to a detector rail that activates the redstone ladder. The signal burst up the ladder starts the redstone clock on top of the platform. The dispenser filled with arrows at the end of the redstone clock starts firing at the wooden button (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: The redstone ladder is a compact method for sending a signal vertically. Check out Lab 3 (shown here) for directions on how to build a redstone ladder.

2. Select another color of clay and roll about half of it out flat. Cover the core with this “liquid neon” layer (fig. 2). Repeat to add two more layers, helium and hydrogen (fig. 3).

Fig. 2: Roll out the clay to make it easier to cover each layer. This is the liquid neon layer.

3. To create the ring disk, roll out the final color into a flat circle. With a toothpick, cut a hole out of the center that’s just slightly smaller than your planet (fig. 4). Insert the toothpicks around the equator (fig. 5) and lay the ring disk on top of the toothpicks, stretching the center as needed.

Fig. 4: Cut a hole in the center using a toothpick to make a ring disk.

4. With a sharp knife and adult supervision, cut a quarter section out of the planet to expose its interior (fig. 6).

Fig. 6: We added some leftover clay to our rings and cut out a section of the planet to reveal the gaseous core.

2. Circles and spheres have a radius, which is the distance from the center to the outer edge. We’ll make our first sphere with a radius of 5. Remember that number; it will come up again. Place your first block on the base (south pole of your planet) and then 10 more straight up for a total of 11 blocks. This will be the y-axis. Find the center and add 5 blocks on both sides. This is the x-axis. Finally, repeat this step from the center to create the z-axis (fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Build this frame in the directions x, y, and z. Each axis is11 blocks of pink wool.

3. At the end of each axis, create an X reaching outward from each end block by adding 2 blocks in all directions (fig. 2). Fill in each X to create a 5 × 5 square, but leave out each corner (fig. 3).

Fig. 2: We used green wool to add an X shape at the end of each axis.

4. Beginning at the bottom, add 2 rows of 5 blocks each that climb like stairs upward. Repeat this step from the top downward (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Build 2 rows of 5 blocks (blue wool in image) on the south and north poles of your sphere.

5. Complete a similar task to step 3, but instead of rows, create 2 columns of 5 blocks. Add these columns all the way around the sphere (fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Add 2 columns of 5 blocks (yellow wool in image) around your sphere from east to west.

6. Finally, add a few more blocks to fill in the remaining gaps and you’ll end up with your first planet (fig. 6)!

Fig. 6: Almost done! Fill in the remaining holes with blocks (orange wool in image) and your planet is complete.

2. With the scissors, poke a small hole in one side of the first small bottle. The hole needs to be large enough for a straw to enter. Find the opposite side of the small bottle and poke a larger hole, about twice the size of the first hole. Repeat with the second smaller bottle (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: The holes in the small bottles should be large enough to thread a straw through.

3. Attach the small bottles (buoyancy tanks) on either side of the large bottle using the rubber bands. The small hole for each straw should be on top. Insert a straw into the hole in the top of each small bottle. Smear modeling clay around each straw to create a watertight seal. Attach a binder clip at the midpoint on each straw. This will be used to trap the air supply in each tank (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Attach the smaller bottles, insert the straws, cover the area around each with modeling clay, and attach a binder clip at the midpoint of each.

5. Release each binder clip. The gas trapped inside each tank will escape through the straw and water will enter the larger hole underneath. The forces are no longer equal and your submarine sinks (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Place sub in water, release the clips, and watch it sink as the air is replaced by water. To raise the sub, blow into both straws at the same time to force out water.

2. To get the hang of building underwater, let’s start with a small section of your field station. In our model, we started with the bedroom that has the dimensions of 6 × 7. Lay down the floor and put up the walls and the roof. Place a door. The door creates an air pocket, even if it is left open. With the door closed, place a sponge in your hand and right-click. The sponge will absorb all the water in the room, leaving you with a wet sponge and a dry bedroom (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: Build a small room, first. Add a door to create an air pocket, then right-click with a sponge to soak up all the water. You can then destroy the wet sponge.

3. As you complete each building, surround it with a layer of glass, clear or colored. Now you can punch out windows anywhere without being flooded and it stops water drops from leaking through your roofed areas (fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Add glass all around to allow for instant window creation. It also stops the roof from leaking.

4. Connect separate builds with long corridors. Use lots of light and glass. Soak up the water as described in step 2 (fig. 4).

Fig. 4: Use corridors to connect each building in your complex.

5. Build a room that has a great view of the ocean beyond and turn it into a giant aquarium by surrounding it with glass walls, several blocks away from your building (fig. 5). Place items on the sea floor that might be found in an aquarium and spawn squid when finished.

Fig. 5: Enclose an area around one of your larger buildings and turn it into an aquarium. Spawn squid and build items you might find in an aquarium.

6. Finish by adding a teleport station, redstone-powered piston doors, and a power supply (fig. 6).

Fig. 6: Add as many extras as you need to complete the challenge. You’ll need a way back to land.