Actually, I think I already know the answer based on previous comments by former contestants. But I ask because it seems to be presented a little deceptively. That's not a complaint; this is show business after all, but I always like to see how things are presented and then see how they are behind the scenes.

How it's presented: Teams are united with their experts. Neither knows exactly what they will be building. As the game starts, they are told. They rush to the whiteboard and design the machines by commitee, with advice from the expert. Then they go looking for parts, and adapt their design to what they find if necessary.

How it really works (correct me if I'm wrong): The experts know exactly what they will be building. They submit their designs and a list of parts in advance to the producers, who salt the yard accordingly (not necessarily supplying exactly the listed parts, but at least something close enough that the design can be built). As the game starts, the teams find out what they will be building. They rush to the whiteboard where the expert explains his/her design to them. Then they go looking for parts, and adapt their design to what they find if necessary.

So it's really the *expert* who designs the machine, not the team.

Is that about right?

-- Eric (earsjohnson@usa.net), February 12, 2001

Answers

Check out the NERDS home page. There is a pile of information on the show, and in particular, the aspects of the build day. The NERDS FAQ should answer your questions. You can find it at: scrapfaq

Hope this helps.

-- Rick (rml_2@hotmail.com), February 12, 2001.