can anyone do rubik's cubes?

[happygobrokey]

i tried to follow a web tutorial in solving the cube. got about halfway through when the bloody thing breaks! so can you do the cube? do you need notes or is it all routine?

have you seen the kids who compete in the cube-offs? absolutely astonishing! 3x3 cube in <10 seconds now, also they do 4x4, 5x5, and 3x3 blindfolded, 3x3 done one-handedly, 3x3 done with the feet. truly awesome.

anyway, i seen a cube with electronics and minigames on it, might pick that one up. but yeah, i'd like to know if anyone here can solve the cube. don't know why i thought of that just now, but it's a cool thread at least, we could throw up some cubing video/education links. have a nice day

 

[just play]

I can do 2 sides, that's it

I think it's just a memory thing, how those kids solve it so fast. You figure out the solution then memorize the movements right?

 

[winbig]

I can do 2 sides, that's it

I think it's just a memory thing, how those kids solve it so fast. You figure out the solution then memorize the movements right?

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I'm sure the people sitting at home posting videos of them solving the cube in 5 seconds are pre-set memorized movements, but when it comes to competitions, it's a whole other ballgame.

I'm not totally up on how the competitions work, but I'm fairly positive that they start with a totally random 'mix-up' and have to figure it out on their own.

 

[GrandMaster]

I can do the 3x3x3 cube, but I am not as fast as I was 25 years ago.

 

[happygobrokey]

you can make your first side in under five moves if you're a pro. and yes i'd say they get a randomized cube, and it is up to them to decide which side to solve first for max efficiency. and there is a routine for how to solve it, depending on the starting and desired ending destination of each piece, you make a series of moves to place it there.

and it's solved in layers rather than sides; solve your first side, then solve the layer of tiles adjoining to that solved face, and work up to the top. and the centre pieces never move by design, so you have to work the rest of the cube to agree with the middle squares of each side. i follow the theory, i just can't practice lol. the cube just literally shattered when i was about to start on the top layer.

cool answers so far

 

[KasinoKing]

I can do the 3x3x3 cube, but I am not as fast as I was 25 years ago.

I'm with GM here - I was solving the 3x3x3 back in the days when it first came out.
I can still do it now, as long as I remember the one difficult move (getting the corners right on the 3rd row).
Other than that you only need to learn about 5 basic moves to do it.
Not quick though - I need several minutes.

Someone gave me a 4x4x4 when they came out - but I didn't have a clue!!

 

[Addisyn]

Back in the days... Damn I feel old! Yes I could solve the 3x3 within a reasonable amount of time. We didn't have computers back then ::sigh:: so you had to actually learn how to do things.

 

[winbig]

Easiest way to do it:

Take it apart and reassemble it solved.

 

[Matthew23]

Easiest way to do it:

Take it apart and reassemble it solved.

I would take KK's finished cube. Start my camera and mix the cube up as quickly as I could for around 5 seconds. Then just edit the video to play in reverse and it looks like i've solved it in 5 seconds

 

[happygobrokey]

lol.

i wonder if the powder/sprays the competitors use to make their cubes rotate faster is called "cube lube".

 

[Jasminebed]

lol.

i wonder if the powder/sprays the competitors use to make their cubes rotate faster is called "cube lube".

Both my bro & I got one for Xmas that first year they were in North America (circa 1976), and both are still functional. We used to use powdered graphite to lubricate them when they got sticky. My daughter (23) has mine, and my brother's resurfaced when cleaning out the basement of my parent's house this spring. I takes me half an hour or so to do it, because I never did memorize the "patterns". Get your top face right, then the bottom four corners (the hard part) and the rest is a cinch.

 

[lauram]

Gee like a rainy monday isnt sad enough then thinking about ages here.
chit im old. Anyways got one years ago like most of us did, person that made this landed millions on that game. Bunch of us hours after hours couldnt get it parents couldnt, wasnt till someone wrote that lil pocket book you pick up at the grocery store stands for 35 cents back, explained how to beat the rubics cube then once you did beat it think most of us tossed in drawers and that was the end of it.