The Rubik’s cube is one of the most perplexing objects because it’s so simple, yet has unique qualities. It may not seem like that at first, but after you do many combinations of random turns and twists, millions of configurations can appear. Today, we are going to learn how the Rubik’s cube was made, how it functions, why it’s so interesting, and you can learn how to solve it yourself, and why you might want to. Now let’s do this.
First of all, the 3x3 Rubik’s cube was invented by Erno Rubik in 1974, though other types of Rubik’s cubes like 2x2’s, 4x4’s, Pyraminx’s, etc. have been invented by multiple other engineers, like Uwe Meffert. Erno Rubik was a Hungarian Professor at the time, and he studied sculpture at the Technical University in Budapest and architecture at the Academy of Applied Arts and Design, also in Budapest. He was a professor of design at the academy, and he wanted to help his students learn 3-dimensional movements. Because he already had a hobby sculpting machinery, he built a wooden prototype, and when he improved it, he invented the first Rubik’s cube.
Secondly, how does the Rubik’s cube work? Well, first, there is a tiny cube with hollow cylinders attached to each size. Inside the cylinders are screws with springs attached, allowing the Rubik’s cube to turn. Together, all those pieces are the core. On each end of a screw, there is a centerpiece that fits on that signifies colors. Finally, the corner pieces and edge pieces fit into place, forming a Rubik’s cube. Sometimes, in more advanced cubes, there are magnets to help pieces snap together, helping them to turn.
Thirdly, why is the Rubik’s cube considered so fascinating? There are many reasons, but 3 main reasons are
- There are over 43 quintillion combinations for a Rubik’s cube.
- No matter the position of the pieces, it is always possible to solve a Rubik’s cube in 20 moves or under.
- Erno Rubik originally used just wood scraps and rubber to make the original Rubik’s cube.
Finally, there are many ways to solve a Rubik’s cube and why you should attempt to solve one. Studies have shone that solving a Rubik’s cube can improve performance in analogous tasks, reasoning and logic, and hand-eye coordination. In order to solve a Rubik’s Cube, in the beginner’s method, you have to divide the Rubik’s cube by layers and remember that yellow is always the opposite of white. First, you have to make a yellow daisy, then a white cross, then a perfect white face. Then you do the second layer, a yellow cross, and finally, you place the corners. These videos helped me learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-R0KrXvWbc&t=1069s & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Jj14gS6TI
Overall, the Rubik’s cube is an iconic puzzle and is very interesting in almost every way possible. I learned a lot from researching this topic, which I really enjoyed, and I hope you enjoyed it too. Thanks for reading.