What are Some Random/Funny/Odd Rubik's Cube Trivia Facts?

[ChrisBird]

Hey Everyone,
I was recently watching John Green's Truth or Fail on the super bowl, and started wondering what kind of facts and questions would be asked in such a game if centered around Rubik's Cubes.

With this being said, what are some odd, weird, funny, random, interesting, cool, or otherwise neat facts about the Rubik's cube, it's relatives (other puzzles), the people who solve them, and times etc.

So basically, if I were to make a Truth or fail about Rubik's Cubes, which kinds of questions should/would I use?

List all or some that you can think of in responses please =D (Please include the answers!)

~Chris

 

[Thomas09]

I would imagine something like what kind of plastic is a rubik's brand cube made out of. Too bad I don't know the answer.

 

[StachuK1992]

Dimensions of original cube
various facts concerning chance (i.e. LL skip, PLL skip, EO skip, etc)
Misc times, and the improvement of such times due to new puzzles (V5)
population of cubing community vs time

Edit: actually, just realized that like, no one out of the community would know this. Sorry if that doesn't help.

 

[ChrisBird]

Thanks Stachu, at least it contained some useful ideas, that even if they won't work, others similar will.

Best post out of the whole thread thus far was yours =p

 

[Bomber]

How long it did it take someone to figure out how to solve it by himself?

Answer: 26 years

If I remember correctly, which sometimes I do, I read in an interview that it took him around a month to solve it for the very first time. What I can't remember is where I read this, the article had other information about the first conventions he went to showcasing the cube where he could solve it in around 2 minutes.

 

[Deleted member 4527]

Um there were tons of these trivia questions at Canadian Open...too bad I can't remember any other than what does ZZ stand for

 

[Sa967St]

Um there were tons of these trivia questions at Canadian Open...too bad I can't remember any other than what does ZZ stand for

Zbigniew Zborowski. I remember answering that

Stokes just asked basic questions though (e.g. Who has the world record for ___? What does <some cubing acronym> stand for?), there wasn't really anything that was funny or odd.


edit: oh lookie what I found
http://www.rubiks.com/World/Cube facts.aspx

 

[shelley]

What material was the first Rubik's cube made from? Wood

 

[PEZenfuego]

How did Erno first try to create the cube?

Answer: Elastic Bands

 

[gpt_kibutz]

I think that there are more combinations than seconds since the universe was born!

 

[miniGOINGS]

Shelley: Wood, right?

 

[Jebediah54]

I think that there are more combinations than seconds since the universe was born!

That's correct... If we assume the universe is ~14 billion years old, it's been in existence for ~44,029,440,000,000,000 seconds which is just over 1/1000 of how many solvable states of the cube there are... cool observation

 

[Deleted member 4527]

edit: oh lookie what I found
http://www.rubiks.com/World/Cube facts.aspx

you found Server Error in '/' Application. Object reference not set to an instance of an object? lol

 

[ChrisBird]

I think that there are more combinations than seconds since the universe was born!

That's correct... If we assume the universe is ~14 billion years old, it's been in existence for ~44,029,440,000,000,000 seconds which is just over 1/1000 of how many solvable states of the cube there are... cool observation

This is defiantly one of the ones I will be using (unless 5 better ones show up =p)

 

[shelley]

defiantly

You're such a rebel.

 

[ChrisBird]

defiantly

You're such a rebel.

Crap, yay for spelling fail!

Definitely***

 

[brunson]

How was the first wooden cube held together?

 

[dunpeal2064]

What did Erno Rubik intend the cube to be used for? (pretty sure it was to show people how objects moved in 3D, could be wrong)

Was Erno's Rubiks cube the first twisty puzzle? ( i remember seeing an old 2x2 that dated before the 3x3, but I can't seem to find it right now)

What was the first WR for the Rubik's cube, and who was it set by?

What was considered the largest (counting layers, not physical size) cube that was believed to be possile to make until recent inventions?

who invented *insert method here*?

Who helped organize and create the WCA?

Who was responsible for reviving the cube and speedsolving 2003?

(some of these may be wrong, and some may be too well known, but this is what I could come up with this early in the morning whilst at work)

 

[ChrisBird]

What did Erno Rubik intend the cube to be used for? (pretty sure it was to show people how objects moved in 3D, could be wrong)


Was Erno's Rubiks cube the first twisty puzzle? ( i remember seeing an old 2x2 that dated before the 3x3, but I can't seem to find it right now)

I think you are thinking of Larry Nichols, with his magnetic 2x2

What was the first WR for the Rubik's cube, and who was it set by?

What was considered the largest (counting layers, not physical size) cube that was believed to be possile to make until recent inventions?

who invented *insert method here*?

Who helped organize and create the WCA?

Who was responsible for reviving the cube and speedsolving 2003?

(some of these may be wrong, and some may be too well known, but this is what I could come up with this early in the morning whilst at work)

My response is in bold.

 

[Cyrus C.]

What did Erno Rubik intend the cube to be used for? (pretty sure it was to show people how objects moved in 3D, could be wrong)


Was Erno's Rubiks cube the first twisty puzzle? ( i remember seeing an old 2x2 that dated before the 3x3, but I can't seem to find it right now)

I think you are thinking of Larry Nichols, with his magnetic 2x2

What was the first WR for the Rubik's cube, and who was it set by?

What was considered the largest (counting layers, not physical size) cube that was believed to be possile to make until recent inventions?

who invented *insert method here*?

Who helped organize and create the WCA?

Who was responsible for reviving the cube and speedsolving 2003?

(some of these may be wrong, and some may be too well known, but this is what I could come up with this early in the morning whilst at work)

My response is in bold.

Couldn't you have just done:

Question

I think your thinking of....

Sorry that just got to me.


When & where was the first WCA competition?

Spoiler

1982, Budapest if you count it. Or 2003, Toronto.