It was there that his son, Bill Fernandez, and his son's friend, Steve Wozniak, built the Cream Soda computer--the machine that might have changed history had it not shorted out during a presentation to a local reporter.

FORBES: Great Garages

On a lark, Mr. Minsky spent some time "inventing useless things, " he says, such as a "gravity machine, " a device that would ring a bell if the force of gravity changed.

WSJ: Looking for Something Useful to Do With Your Time? Don't Try This

That changed during the 1994 championship season, when, Mr. Durkin said, a second machine was added to complete the job faster.

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