For sure
most of you here have seen the Rubik’s Cube and
for sure you tried to play with it many times and arrange colors somehow. Even random
turns count J. But you might not know that the
Rubik’s Cube celebrates 40 years since its invention this year.
Invented in 1974 by Erno Rubik who was a Professor of architecture from Hungary. Originally created to help students understand geometric concepts and 3D space . It was supposed to have only billions of combinations but actually has over 43 quintillion combinations so we can say it is a bit complex :). It took well over a month for Erno to work out the solution to his own puzzle. During his trails with the cube he said one time: “It was wonderful, to see how, after only a few turns, the colors became mixed, apparently in random fashion. It was tremendously satisfying to watch this color parade. Like after a nice walk when you have seen many lovely sights you decide to go home, after a while I decided it was time to go home, let us put the cubes back in order. And it was at that moment that I came face to face with the Big Challenge: What is the way home?”.
After his experience with students Erno tried to sell his product and named it “the Magic Cube” but unfortunately for him his creation was too modern and a way too complicated for people living in the 80s. After a rough start in Hungary, he managed to release a cube with a different name worldwide and since that time 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold.
Nowadays people are using cubes all over the world. They are taking part in competitions called speedcubing or speedsolving or just playing with it for fun. Speedcubing is solving the Rubik’s Cube as quickly as possible and the current World Record in solving the most popular 3x3 cube is 5.55, set by Mats Valk during the Zonhoven Open 2013
After his experience with students Erno tried to sell his product and named it “the Magic Cube” but unfortunately for him his creation was too modern and a way too complicated for people living in the 80s. After a rough start in Hungary, he managed to release a cube with a different name worldwide and since that time 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold.
Nowadays people are using cubes all over the world. They are taking part in competitions called speedcubing or speedsolving or just playing with it for fun. Speedcubing is solving the Rubik’s Cube as quickly as possible and the current World Record in solving the most popular 3x3 cube is 5.55, set by Mats Valk during the Zonhoven Open 2013
but if you are bored with 3x3 cube you can find other more complex ones like 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 or 7x7. And if this is not enough you can try to solve a puzzle one-handed, blindfolded or using your feet :) Good luck!
One-handed:
Blindfolded:
With feet:
Sources:
Comments
I have a question: how the cube is mixed before contestant tries to solve it? There must be easier and harder variances to solve.
Especially on with covert eyes. Going that way I found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU2tKYvDH2g
I think golden years of rubics cube were in 90. In those days parents of my friend
used to import and sell this stuff. They earned a lot of money on it.
If you have rubics cube at your house bought in Poland its probably from them.
But now this days are over. People like rather electronic games and gadgets these days.
http://twistypuzzling.blogspot.com/
so much fun using Rubik's cube but it was a very long time ago. I need to buy one.
I think this great way to rest. For me creative thinking is very relaxing.
I quit interesting how to solve big cubes 4x4x4 and above
what shown people are doing is impressive
I remember when i used to often visit my friend, there was a kid in a bus that always was there at that time, and always had he rubik. He swapped it so fast, almost felt like he didn't even bother to look at it. He just resolved it and spread, resolve and spread.
I never successfully finished my rubik in 90s. Most of the time i just took it apart and put it back in proper colour scheme.
If you are interested, here is the list of the recent Rubik's Cube World Records: http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/rubik.html
The actual holder of the title is Mats Valk (Netherlands) who solved the puzzle in less than 6 seconds during the Zonhoven Open 2013 event (video attached).
My 12 years old cousin is really fast at solving Rubic cubes. He teached me that any Cube can be solved in less than 20 moves (some sources claim that under 17). For me it usually was too hard.
He is able to solve also more advances flavors of this riddle: 4x4 and 5x5. There is also special kind of 3x3 cube with rotatable rims.
In the other side I think that it’s verry good source many inpirations. I like this cube when I look it, but I think that if I try to solve it I hate it xD
I got my first one when I was 7years old or something like that. It's a relly good way to practise/ train your brain and fingers.
It seems to be excellent way to practise focus and analytic thinking. I actually think about buying one for myself now :)
I am thinking about buying complicated one, maybe one of those which also changing theirs shape.
I have never heared about it but I think that this is really helpfull exercise to development of spatial imagination for graphic designer 3d for example or architect. This is wonderful that "normal" people can't solve the Rubik’s Cube and others can perform a task such as feet.