Some funny and stunning facts about the Rubik's Cube

What's up you villainous weirdos?

Today's article will entertain you and enrich your general culture if you take time to read it! We will talk talk about some interesting records, facts and stories about the Rubik's Cube that you probably don't know. Let's start right now!

• The Rubik's Cube wasn't initially meant to be a toy

Erno Rubik, a professor of architecture at the Budapest College of Applied Arts, invented the puzzle cube in 1974. Although it’s widely reported that he created the cube to explain three-dimensional geometry to his students, he actually built it as a model which would allow individual pieces to move without the whole structure falling apart. He didn't realize he had created a puzzle until he first scrambled the cube then tried to restore it. After he received positive feedback from his students, he applied for a patent and began manufacturing the ‘Magic Cube’ in Hungary.

• The original 3x3x3 Cube has over 43 Quintillion possible configurations

The original (3×3×3) Rubik's Cube has eight corners and twelve edges. There are 8! (40,320) ways to arrange the corner cubes. Seven can be oriented independently, and the orientation of the eighth depends on the preceding seven, giving 3^7 (2,187) possibilities. There are 12!/2 (239,500,800) ways to arrange the edges, since an even permutation of the corners implies an even permutation of the edges as well (cf previous articles: when arrangements of centers are also permitted, as described below, the rule is that the combined arrangement of corners, edges, and centers must be an even permutation.) Eleven edges can be flipped independently, with the flip of the twelfth depending on the preceding ones, giving 2^11 (2,048) possibilities.

{8! \times 3^7 \times (12!/2) \times 2^{11}} = 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 which is approximately 43 quintillion.

Conclusion: If you are one of those who try to turn the cube randomly hoping that it will be solved one day...  It would take you 13 million years to have it solved, if you make an average number of 1 rotation per second. So you'd better be very patient!

• The best selling toy of all times

Okay, one billion Barbies have been sold, but Barbie is clearly cheating! Tons of variations of her are being sold, she's never the same! Whether the Rubik's Cube is with 350 million units the best individual selling toy in history.

• World record holder is not human

 

This insane Robot above is made of Lego and smartphones, and can solve the cube in 3.253 sec! more than 2 sec better than the human world record of Feliks Zemdegs below, a 17 year-old Australian cuber, considered as the best in the world.

• 3 year-old Chinese toddler solving it in less than 2 min. 

[source: Youtube]

If you want to feel inadequate, go check out this video of a Chinese toddler in a high chair solving a 3x3x3 in 114 sec in front of cameras. 

Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO9n3zsdAAc

• A Cube sold for 1.6M €

Want to solve a 3D puzzle but can’t stand cheap plastic? Well this niche product might be up your alley. Created by Diamond Cutters International in 1995, the ‘Masterpiece Cube’ features 22.5 carats of amethyst, 34 carats of rubies and 34 carats of emeralds, set in 18-carat gold. Valued at $1.6M it’s an excellent object to demonstrate that you have more money than sense.

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And you, do you know any weird fact about the Rubik's Cube? 

That's it for today guys! Don't forget to subscribe and to give your opinion in the comment section below. I'd really appreciate that! See you next week for another article. This was your sincerely yours ID9!