Rubik's Cube Geeks In the Playground

[grimbold]

I was just curious if anybody else in the playground really likes doing rubik's cubes. I learned how to solve it about a month ago and my time record is 1:28. I'm apparently signed up for an inter-school tournament in May. Does anybody have any experience with Rubik's cubing at high speeds? Does anybody want to discuss these oddly addictive puzzles?

[Ranger Mattos]

I have only solved a Rubik's Cube once. It took over two hours *shame*

I have since lost my Rubik's Cube, and haven't gotten another one. I wish I did, though. Maybe I'll ask for one for Christmas.

[Lord Loss]

I can't solve them myself, but I know three people who can solve it in under a minute (one of which has never looked up how to do it online and figured out how to do it on his own) and can solve a oversized or undersized ones as well (more or less squares in each direction).

[Qaera]

I love Rubik's Cubes! I haven't ever timed myself, but I can do them pretty fast, I guess.

~ ♅

[MoonCat]

I've never solved one, but my brother, insane geek that he is, has solved loads of them, in many different kinds, all the time, including once beating the current record (pity he didn't have any proof). I think this guide (http://ben-kiki.org/oren/rubik/rubik.html), which he co-wrote with some other dude might help. (his name doesn't show up on there, only the others dude's)

[Icewalker]

I learned how to solve a 3x3 at one point, and could do so pretty quick (about 2 minutes usually). I've since forgotten how, and I'm glad for that, because it means I can work it out myself this time, the only thing I remember from it before is the rough order to accomplish the process (get one side, get the edges around it, etc) but nothing else.

[Tirian]

I learned how to solve a 3x3 at one point, and could do so pretty quick (about 2 minutes usually). I've since forgotten how, and I'm glad for that, because it means I can work it out myself this time, the only thing I remember from it before is the rough order to accomplish the process (get one side, get the edges around it, etc) but nothing else.

It's a wonderful place to be. It's even more wonderful than you suspect, because you can even throw away that outline if you like. When I retaught myself after a long time away, I came up with getting all the corners exactly right (which is just like solving a 2x2x2 cube if you've ever played with one of those) and then there are plenty of simple routines that move three edges pieces around at will. The thing that I came up with isn't even slower, and I find it a lot more intellectually rewarding to find the most efficient way from here to there in the least time. The plan you think of can be just as self-tuned to the way you want to do it.

[Totally Guy]

I'm solving it as a feat of memory rather than intelligence. I was challenged to solve one at a new year's party by a friend. I made a youtube video to show him I'd succeeded later in the year.

I've done it faster but this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_z3cee24Oc) was by far the most dramatic of my recordings.

[Shadow of the Sun]

Anyone who likes rubix cubes and music, too, there's this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYv_oB_PXSg)

[grimbold]

I'm solving it as a feat of memory rather than intelligence. I was challenged to solve one at a new year's party by a friend. I made a youtube video to show him I'd succeeded later in the year.

I've done it faster but this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_z3cee24Oc) was by far the most dramatic of my recordings.

that
is really cool
XD

[golentan]

Anyone who likes rubix cubes and music, too, there's this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYv_oB_PXSg)

You said music, but you linked to rap. I call shenanigans!

I'm trying to teach myself how to Rubik. I've looked at some general theory online but since I'm not willing to do step by step and I keep messing up on keeping track of the moves I've made I've been getting nowhere. :smallsigh:

[Shadow of the Sun]

Rap is totally music, as off topic as this is.

[grimbold]

I'm trying to teach myself how to Rubik. I've looked at some general theory online but since I'm not willing to do step by step and I keep messing up on keeping track of the moves I've made I've been getting nowhere. :smallsigh:
teaching yourself how to rubik can be REALLY hard

i would recommend finding a friend to teach you

[Arachu]

I've been off-and-on trying to teach myself to Rubik for months (technically years? I don't know if it counted before), as I am too vain to look patterns up.

I keep getting a little closer, and then finding I've switched things I can't figure out how to put back. My previous attempts have involved working from the top down, and last time I got all but the last face (which here includes the bottoms of the side faces) - yet somehow it remains unsolved.

I examine insects in detail as they fly by my face (well, that only happened once, but it still did), but I can't make a cube make patterns to save my life.

:smallfurious:

[Caesar]

I taught myself in two weeks, and can solve in 3 to 5 mins on average, haven't really felt the need to push it further to be honest.

For those trying to learn it themselves, the key is to find patterns that first break and then repair the top section, while altering other squares. Start by solving the top (pick a color), then try to break it and move it out of the way, so that you can spin other parts of the cube, before returning the top to order. Thats the basic premise behind the logical, step-by-step patterns.

Its another story when you learn to recognize and complete two or more patterns simultaneously.. I leave that to machines and people with obsessive compulsion disorders.

[Tirian]

teaching yourself how to rubik can be REALLY hard

i would recommend finding a friend to teach you

I would belay that advice. If you find the cube too hard (and there is absolutely no reason that you shouldn't find it hard, it's a very very hard problem), start with the Magic Pyramid and the Skewb and the 2x2x2 cube. Those are problems that I think can be cracked by a newbie with sufficient motivation and dedication, perhaps with a few very abstract hints about the sorts of moves that tend to be helpful*. Once you've solved those, the Rubik's Cube might be within your grasp. And, wow, the e-peen of being able to say that you solved the cube without reading a book would be epic.

* If anyone wants these sorts of hints, I've really been dying for an excuse to build websites or YouTube video series to do some mathy geeky stuff, so speak up and I can at least write a page or two on the math behind trying to solve these puzzles on your own.

[grimbold]

* If anyone wants these sorts of hints, I've really been dying for an excuse to build websites or YouTube video series to do some mathy geeky stuff, so speak up and I can at least write a page or two on the math behind trying to solve these puzzles on your own.

i know a few people who would find that math really interesting
personally i think it would be pretty cool

[WalkingTarget]

I've been fascinated by them since I was a kid. Got one as a gift at the age of 6, figured out how to solve it about 10 years later (although I hadn't started really working on it until I was around 15 - not in a spacial-awareness, drawing diagrams phase at least). My algorithm is very inefficient (I average about 4 minutes), but I did it on my own and it has the benefit of only really needing 1 sequence (there's a 2nd one, but it's only needed sometimes at a single point in the process). The downside is that it requires memorization of patterns on one side and where that means the sequence should next be applied.

I also have 4x4x4, 5x5x5, and 7x7x7 cubes - which I can also solve - also using additional algorithms of my own devising (although, once they're solved to a certain point they're equivalent to 3x3x3s). The 7x7x7 one was sort of disappointing since it's no more complicated than the 5x5x5 from an algorithm standpoint, really. Takes me about 2 hours to solve, though.

I've got a buddy who can do a standard cube in under a minute with regularity. He's the guy who won the Cardhalla auction at GenCon this year if anybody else was there.

[grimbold]

I've been fascinated by them since I was a kid. Got one as a gift at the age of 6, figured out how to solve it about 10 years later (although I hadn't started really working on it until I was around 15 - not in a spacial-awareness, drawing diagrams phase at least). My algorithm is very inefficient (I average about 4 minutes), but I did it on my own and it has the benefit of only really needing 1 sequence (there's a 2nd one, but it's only needed sometimes at a single point in the process). The downside is that it requires memorization of patterns on one side and where that means the sequence should next be applied.

I also have 4x4x4, 5x5x5, and 7x7x7 cubes - which I can also solve - also using additional algorithms of my own devising (although, once they're solved to a certain point they're equivalent to 3x3x3s). The 7x7x7 one was sort of disappointing since it's no more complicated than the 5x5x5 from an algorithm standpoint, really. Takes me about 2 hours to solve, though.

I've got a buddy who can do a standard cube in under a minute with regularity. He's the guy who won the Cardhalla auction at GenCon this year if anybody else was there.

this is really impressive
i can haz link to algorithms?

[WalkingTarget]

this is really impressive
i can haz link to algorithms?

Uhh... it's in my head. I might try to get it worked out in notation if I get some time, but the fact that it requires a lot of positional memorization/pattern recognition rather than just having multiple sequences used in different parts of the solving process might complicate matters more.

[Shadow of the Sun]

There are programs that have 4 and 5 dimensional Rubik's cubes, which are really trippy.

[WalkingTarget]

There are programs that have 4 and 5 dimensional Rubik's cubes, which are really trippy.

I've had MagicCube 4D (http://www.superliminal.com/cube/cube.htm) on my machine for over a decade, although I tend to ignore it for long stretches of time. At my most adept at it I could consistently solve something that had been scrambled by 5 turns. A full scramble was beyond my ability to puzzle out before being distracted by some other hobby.

[Dr.Epic]

Someone should make a 4-dimensional Rubik's Cube. I don't care if it creates a black hole and ends all life. It'd be the #1 holiday toy this season.

[Arachu]

We should make a Rubik's Planet.

We need to find a way to plasticize an entire planet, and then paint a giant Rubik's Cube on its surface.

And it shall be turned with lasers! :xykon:

[Dr.Epic]

We should make a Rubik's Planet.

We need to find a way to plasticize an entire planet, and then paint a giant Rubik's Cube on its surface.

And it shall be turned with lasers! :xykon:

Well, we'd probably work our species into extinction doing that, but it'd be worth it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9IArrfyMTQ):smallbiggrin:

[grimbold]

Well, we'd probably work our species into extinction doing that, but it'd be worth it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9IArrfyMTQ):smallbiggrin:

this
made my day XD