Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for September 02, 2014

Now all you have to do Calvin is to convince Mom that her financial gift (!) will not be detrimental in the short run and disastrous in the long run… ;)

Pretty impressive, in light of his scholastic behaviour, that Calvin actually knows even three of the simple machines, especially considering he’s only in first grade.

I think she is going to say no.

Mom will want to see some results first, Junior.

This was way before Kickstarter.

At least he’s not making potato salad.

She’s going to tell him to make the bed first.

I have never before met an expert in inventions. Do they exist?

Like that’s going to happen. I think not.

Like Junior Bear (Stan Freberg) in Chuck Jones’ “A Bear for Punishment:” “I am a GOOD speller! C-A-T, dog! D-O-G… Rhode Island!”

It’s good that Calvin understands simple machines. He will need a lot of leverage with his Mom, who may not be inclined to support him.

Hobbes also has some experience with leverage. Here is a very early Calvin and Hobbes strip:Click here: Calvin and Hobbes (February 6, 1986)Click here: Peanuts (April 26, 1959)

Calvin’s mom will tell him to go back and clean his room.

Calvin, stay away from that wheelbarrow! You know you don’t know anything about complicated machinery!

Mom’ll just say : Clean your room yourself!

Yes, a grant for research, please!!

So Calvin "screw"ed up the list of simple machines.

Wasn’t Calvin named after a thermometer; or, was it the other way around?.Oh, wait! That’s Kelvin; or, did he make refrigerators?

Yeah. We’ll see how far that goes…

@neverenoughgold: Calvin named after a thermometer? Well, come to think of it, Hobbes is quite tall but Calvin is only fair-in-height.

Actually, there are six. Along with the three that Calvin correctly named, there are the wheel and axle, the screw and the wedge.

Apparently, my comment was considered offensive by some or someone and removed.

Like asking her is ever going to work.

But a pulley is a lever: A circular lever. There are only two simple machines: The lever and the inclined plane. Pulleys and wheels are circular levers. A screw is a helical inclined plane and a wedge is a reversal of the inclined plane (the plane moves along the object, pushing it rather than the object moving along the plane.)