The Rubik’s Cube is probably one of the most famous toys on Earth. Throughout the history of childhood fun there has always been the aunt or uncle who bought children their first Rubik’s cube to play with. Then you’d spend hours carrying it in your pocket, trying to solve it as best you can. Some got it right, but mostly people just seemed to give it up.
The great thing about a Rubik’s cube is that it doesn’t have an age limit. You can easily pick up another one and give it another bash. You might just get it right, now that you’re a little bit older and a little bit wiser. It can provide hours of endless entertainment and it can refine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination.
This toy recently celebrated its 40th birthday after its initial design in 1974. Originally called the Magic Cube, this toy was designed by Hungarian sculptor ad professor, Ernő Rubik. It was initially built as a teaching tool to teach students about the inner workings of a 3D model, but Rubik himself said that it was also built so that people could understand the inner workings of a structure without it falling apart. So all along kids have been playing around with a scientifically complex design!
Without his knowledge, Rubik had created a cube that he had to put back together after scrambling it. The idea quickly caught on in Budapest, the place he was staying at the time, and it started selling widely in toy shops. In 1980 Rubik and his cube achieved international status when Ideal Toy Corp bought the rights to manufacture the toy on large scale. This concept rose to success in Western countries and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years many people have bought their own Rubik’s cube for entertainment purposes, but there is an underlying side that few people know of. Mathematicians started using the cube in order to solve complex mathematical equations. People have investigated its effect on algorithms, relevance, and mathematical theory. Rubik never thought he was creating something so revolutionary that could be fun for kids and adults.
In 1982 the entertainment side of the Rubik’s cube was turned when the first ever Speedcubing
Since 2003 the rules have changed to this competition and the competition has added a number of different categories. Contestants can now try their hand at solving the puzzle while blindfolded, with one hand, with one’s feet, or by doing so in the fewest possible moves!
There is no doubt that the Rubik’s cube has successfully created its own revolutionary history and changed the way we learn forever. Even Justin Bieber claims to be able to solve it in 2 minutes! Why not test the waters after all these years?
Have you ever played with a Rubik’s Cube? Maybe a better question- Have you ever solved the Rubik’s Cube? Leave a comment below and share your opinion and experience. Would love to hear from you.
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