Comments on: Rubik’s Cube in 26 Moves

By: soccer dad

soccer dad — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:36:34 +0000

I read that Will Smith learned how to solve the cube for "Pursuit of Happyness." He had a coach though.

By: Dodd

Dodd — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 02:40:18 +0000

I memorized a method I picked up from someone else back in sixth grade that allowed me to solve it within a few seconds plus or minus of one minute every time. I've long since forgotten it now, though.

By: just me

just me — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:29:29 +0000

BTW, the 4x4 cube isn't that difficult to solve.

I agree-okay I admit I didn't figure it out on my own, but my husband taught me how to solve it, and unlike the 3x3 I was able to solve the 4x4 one with the method he taught.

We also had a pyramid one, and that one was easy to solve too-or at least I could do it, after I learned the solution.

I wouldn't have figured the solutions out to any of them on my own.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:35:01 +0000

I never found the Rubik's Cube that engaging. The first time I picked one up (about 30 years ago) I solved it in about 7 seconds. I had somebody scramble it, tried again, and solved in about 15 seconds. Never picked one up again.

By: physics geek

physics geek — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:32:08 +0000

I was the only one of my friends who didn't resort to buying the solution book. I wasted a few weeks late at night solving the darned thing. Turns out that my solution is of the iterative persuasion, which means that my solving time is entirely dependent on how the cube is oriented before I start, because my method is exactly the same each time. I did hit 1:30 once, but that was kind of a perfect storm for my method, which apparently differs from most others.

I picked it up last month from where it had been gathering dust for 15 years. It took about 10 minutes to remember what the heck I was supposed to do, but I did it, just because.

BTW, the 4x4 cube isn't that difficult to solve. You merely solve the middle two rows then treat them as a single row, which reduces the solution to that of a 3x3. Solving the middle two rows did prove a bit challenging, though.

By: Anderson

Anderson — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 21:02:46 +0000

I can solve the problem to my satisfaction in two steps: place the cube directly in front of your car's wheel, then place the transmission into drive.

By: just me

just me — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:22:30 +0000

My husband can solve them very quickly-not in 10 seconds, but less than a minute.

He tried to teach me, but to no avail I have to resort to sticker moving, or my favorite-taking the thing apart and rebuilding it all solved.

I think some people just have the kind of brains that work to solve that stuff, and then there are people like me who work thirty minutes just to get one side solved.

By: another matt

another matt — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:54:07 +0000

The fastest way to solve it is to re-define the meaning of victory to be the scrambled mess that you currently hold in your hand.

I learned that strategy from the Bush Administration.

By: Triumph

Triumph — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 17:19:01 +0000

I got a standard 3×3 cube during the toy’s heyday in the early 1980s and learned to solve it layer by layer in a variation of what I now see is the method touted by David Singmaster.

The easiest way to solve it is to peel off the stickers and re-arrange them so each side is a solid color.

I learned that strategy from Ted Kennedy.