LEGO Designers: The Mad Scientists of Plastic Bricks

When I was a kid, my favorite toy was LEGOs. All you need are some bricks and your imagination, and your options are pretty much wide open from there. Now that I'm an adult, my favorite toy is still LEGOs. All three of my kids still play with LEGOs from time to time, but my youngest son is currently the one getting the most mileage out of our bricks. When he's sitting at the table with his Ninjago minions, he reminds me of myself at that age.

The latest addition to our LEGO collective is kit 9443, the Rattlecopter:

It's a very cool kit, and the Rattlecopter even has eyes and fangs! But the part that made me geek out the most was probably one of the most mundane and boring parts on the build. The engine:

Why the engine? Look at the cone of what I assume is the turbofan. Take it off, and you discover that it is actually a...

Knight's helmet! I can only imagine that the LEGO designers try to use as many existing parts as possible, to help keep costs down. Brilliant!

I came across this article on NPR.com about the newest and youngest Master Model Builder. Make sure you watch his application video. Also, if you've never seen it before, make sure you check out Nathan Sawaya's website. Simply amazing stuff! The Iwo Jima Replica and Starry Night are just two examples to single out, but you really need to see everything to fully appreciate Nathan's ability to use LEGOs instead of more traditional art mediums.