Friday, May 28, 2010

The Rubik's Cube Turned 30 in March


Between about 1980-1981, the Rubik's Cube was all the rage. I know I'm once again dating myself, but hey, I didn't ask for all of these underage readers! These days it seems as if everything I once loved is aging. My teen idols have all grown up. Kirk Cameron, Jason Bateman and Corey Feldman are all dads now.

My favorite games and dolls are all celebrating 30 years of fun. I don't want to grow up along with them. I told you about Strawberry Shortcake and Pac-man turning 30, well add Rubik's Cube to the 30 club. In case you're clueless as to what the heck a Rubik's Cube is, Rubiks.com describes the puzzle as, "... a 3x3x3 plastic cube with different colored squares revolving around a central axis to produce around 43 quintillion different combinations with only one solution!"

Due to my suddenly busy schedule, I begged my husband to write a retro post. He declined. What did I expect from someone who has read about three of my blog posts? Instead he quickly told me about a time when he gave up trying to solve the Rubik's Cube and simply removed the stickers and reapplied them giving the impression that he had completely solved the puzzle.


Five Fun Facts About Rubik's Cube

  1. The Rubik's Cube was developed by a Hungarian university lecturer, designer and engineer named Erno Rubik.
  2. More than 350 million Rubik's Cubes have been sold since 1980 -- one million were sold between 1980-1981.
  3. Rubik's hosts World Championships that gather hundreds of entries from all over the world who try to  solve the puzzle between 10 and 30 seconds, BLINDFOLDED!
  4. The current World Record Holder for solving The Cube is Dutch teenager Erik Akkersdijk. In July of 2008, he solved the cube in 7.08 seconds.
  5. Rubik's offers a variety of other puzzles such as the challenging 4x4 and 5x5 version  and even have their own YouTube channel.

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    22 comments:

    1. TomMay 28, 2010 at 12:06 AM

      I'm older than that thing? Sheesh.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Sandra BurnsMay 28, 2010 at 12:07 AM

      Yeah, I'm older than a Rubik's Cube too. . . I actually remember when they came out and everyone on the bus trying to solve it. . . Man I'm old!

      I gave you an award on my blog. Check it out!

      http://likeChristmaseverysingleday.blogspot.com

      ReplyDelete
    3. Ms. AMay 28, 2010 at 12:15 AM

      How I hated those things! My boys could do them, I never could. Grrrr!

      ReplyDelete
    4. Babes MamiMay 28, 2010 at 12:21 AM

      My childhood arch nemesis!

      ReplyDelete
    5. CheeseboyMay 28, 2010 at 12:29 AM

      The cube is making a comeback. My gifted first graders love that thing.

      ReplyDelete
    6. JillMay 28, 2010 at 12:46 AM

      The best I could ever do was 2 sides. That's not for lack of trying. We got one for my son a few years ago. Now I'm off to go find the thing.

      ReplyDelete
    7. KristieMay 28, 2010 at 12:46 AM

      I just found your blog and I can't quit reading it! :) I love the 80s!
      Come on over and check out my blog when you get a chance. I'm having a cool giveaway right now, too!

      ReplyDelete
    8. TS HendrikMay 28, 2010 at 2:00 AM

      Nothing makes me feel quite as stupid as a Rubik's Cube.

      Still I try. One day I shall figure it out.

      ReplyDelete
    9. Rawknrobyn.blogspot.comMay 28, 2010 at 2:19 AM

      I join the club of Rubik's Cube Haters and the club of those who hate those who can figure out the Rubik's Cube. Damn them!
      Cheers,
      Robyn

      ReplyDelete
    10. mamahasspokenMay 28, 2010 at 3:33 AM

      I can't figure one of those out either. My son can in under a minute. He's explain to me one too many times about the secret to solving the cube but it is WAY above my mentality. He had to do a senior exit project when he graduated from high school. He compaired life to a Rubik's Cube and solved several cubes as he talked. Yea, he's a science nerd...

      ReplyDelete
    11. ScoManMay 28, 2010 at 3:50 AM

      I love the Rubik's cube.

      I remember when I found my dad's and I would sit for hours on end playing with it.

      ReplyDelete
    12. saraMay 28, 2010 at 8:42 AM

      My brother had probably every single Rubik puzzle that was out there. I have never once solved it. I think the closest I came was solving one side.

      ReplyDelete
    13. LaraAnnMay 28, 2010 at 8:43 AM

      I don't think that I could ever solve this thing. My brother might have- or did he just peel the stickers off and put them back on to make it seem like he did. We had the Missing Link and the Pyramid too.

      ReplyDelete
    14. CopyboyMay 28, 2010 at 9:21 AM

      I also learned that there's actually a braille rubik's cube. No joke.
      FYI...I was able to complete a side in 22 minutes when I was a mere 14 years of age. Beat that blogosphere.

      ReplyDelete
    15. MarleneMay 28, 2010 at 10:24 AM

      Are you kiddin' me?! The Rubik's cube was like WOW!!!! One of my favorite mind-bogglers! I was 16 or 17 when I got my first one (shaddup) and it took me about a month to figure it out....but figure it out, I did. I was able to solve the darn thing in about five minutes. Take that, Copyboy ;) Yeah, I know - brag, brag, brag.

      If it makes you feel any better - a couple of years ago, I decided I really missed my cube and wanted another one. My daughter bought it for me as a gift...and I sat there ready to peel the stickers off it when I couldn't remember, after a week of trying, how to figure the damned thing out.

      So, solving a cube is not like riding a bicycle. Just sayin'.

      ReplyDelete
    16. Big Mama CassMay 28, 2010 at 10:26 AM

      Oh yeah I totally do it blindfolded. All the time. With my arms tied behind my back. LMAO :)

      ReplyDelete
    17. Joe CapMay 28, 2010 at 11:01 AM

      The only way I was able to solve it was to peel off all the stickers, and then stick them back on the correct way.

      ReplyDelete
    18. SaltMay 28, 2010 at 12:48 PM

      Aaaaaand I am older than the Rubik's Cube. I had no idea.

      I was never able to solve that damn thing, but I, too, cheated by removing the stickers. My mom totally knew I was a liar because they would be all dog-eared at the edges.

      ReplyDelete
    19. lizMay 28, 2010 at 4:54 PM

      This has nothing to do with your post, but I just saw the news that Gary Coleman died. Talk about a show from my childhood!

      ReplyDelete
    20. MaceyMay 28, 2010 at 7:54 PM

      The one thing that I always felt good about was that Rubik's cube was older than me...but now I learn it's not.
      Shoot me now.
      AND, Gary Coleman died today. :(

      ReplyDelete
    21. Powdered Toast ManMay 30, 2010 at 6:57 AM

      I had to cheat and look online to solve that thing but it's still not that simple. You have to memorize the configurations. Idk how someone figures it out otherwise. I only remember how to solve half of it...lol

      ReplyDelete
    22. ~ NoelleJune 1, 2011 at 3:35 PM

      so, did you ever figure it out?
      i tried.. and gave up.. my dad could do it though

      ReplyDelete