"The cube is no longer a puzzle"

[LNZ]

There is a site (similar to this one) called "Twisty Puzzles". But from a different view.

 

[TMOY]

"The cube is no longer a puzzle" ? Sorry, but that's just absurd. The cube itself hasn't changed, it's still the same puzzle as it used to be, it's the majority of cubers who are not puzzle solvers anymore.

 

[~Adam~]

So what do I mean by that? Bold declaration isn't it? But in a way, it's true.

In a far more accurate way, it's false.

It may not be the same puzzle I solved intuitively as a child but it's still a puzzle.

I like solving variants of the puzzles I speedsolve (shape mods, cuboids etc) without looking up information on how to do so if I feel like a different sort of challenge.

 

[Dane man]

It may not be the same puzzle I solved intuitively as a child but it's still a puzzle.

"The cube is no longer a puzzle" ? Sorry, but that's just absurd. The cube itself hasn't changed, it's still the same puzzle as it used to be, it's the majority of cubers who are not puzzle solvers anymore.

I didn't say that it is literally not a puzzle. Hence the phrase "in a way". This phrase also means "in a sense", or "from a certain perspective".

I'm saying that from the perspective of those of us that memorize solutions to it, it ceases to be challenging in the form of a puzzle. So please, try to understand what any OP is saying before attacking them for using a metaphoric figure of speech in one small part of their post.

@cube-o-holic I understand what you are saying, but that wasn't exactly the point I was trying to make.

 

[~Adam~]

I didn't say that it is literally not a puzzle. Hence the phrase "in a way". This phrase also means "in a sense", or "from a certain perspective".

I'm saying that from the perspective of those of us that memorize solutions to it, it ceases to be challenging in the form of a puzzle. So please, try to understand what any OP is saying before attacking them for using a metaphoric figure of speech in one small part of their post.

@cube-o-holic I understand what you are saying, but that wasn't exactly the point I was trying to make.

Is a jigsaw puzzle a puzzle? All you have to do is find the piece to go in the correct space. It's hardly a challenge, just time consuming.

 

[IRNjuggle28]

People are really just picking Dane's wording to pieces and ignoring the point he was obviously making.

Ignore the literal definition of what a puzzle is. What he said was "I think that the word 'puzzle' connotes a difficulty and a lack of understanding that I no longer feel towards the cube."

 

[supercavitation]

He doesn't. The vast majority of the world does. Walk out in public with your cube for an hour, and count how many people come up to you who know what they're doing vs the number of people who say "woah, you know how to solve one of those," or, "woah, I thought those things were impossible!" To the vast, vast majority of the world, Rubik's Cubes are still difficult due to a lack of understanding. As with most puzzles, it is quite challenging due to "a difficulty and lack of understanding" that I would say most of us no longer feel towards the cube. I would say that's because unlike most people, we have taken the time to learn a method, and get educated (overcome our lack of understanding) about the puzzle.

My basic point is this. Those of us who understand the Rubik's cube are a tiny minority of the planet. Let's assume that 100 times as many people as have ever been to a competition know how to solve a Rubik's Cube. I'd bet a fair amount of money that it's not nearly that many, but we'll go with 100 for now. That still leaves us at roughly 0.042% of the world's population. The cube is still difficult and puzzling for most people. We just happen to know what we're doing.

 

[IRNjuggle28]

He doesn't. The vast majority of the world does. Walk out in public with your cube for an hour, and count how many people come up to you who know what they're doing vs the number of people who say "woah, you know how to solve one of those," or, "woah, I thought those things were impossible!" To the vast, vast majority of the world, Rubik's Cubes are still difficult due to a lack of understanding. As with most puzzles, it is quite challenging due to "a difficulty and lack of understanding" that I would say most of us no longer feel towards the cube. I would say that's because unlike most people, we have taken the time to learn a method, and get educated (overcome our lack of understanding) about the puzzle.

My basic point is this. Those of us who understand the Rubik's cube are a tiny minority of the planet. Let's assume that 100 times as many people as have ever been to a competition know how to solve a Rubik's Cube. I'd bet a fair amount of money that it's not nearly that many, but we'll go with 100 for now. That still leaves us at roughly 0.042% of the world's population. The cube is still difficult and puzzling for most people. We just happen to know what we're doing.

It can be a puzzle for one person and not be for another. He was describing his perception of cubes now. Nothing in there about the cube not being a puzzle to people who haven't solved it yet. You're correct in your points, but they don't really notice the point Dane man was making.

Us solving the cubes as fast as we can, instead of someone learning to solve, is like the difference between a track runner getting as fast as possible at 100m versus a baby learning to stand. Is learning to walk a puzzle for a baby? Sure. Is perfecting that skill really puzzle related? I would say no.

 

[supercavitation]

Then the statement should have been phrased as such. Saying "The cube is no longer a puzzle" is making a blanket statement, saying that it's not a puzzle for anyone anymore. If he wanted to say that the puzzle is not puzzling for him anymore, he should have said so.

I also disagree with your analogy, but since I see the point you're getting at, I'll let that go.

 

[Dane man]

IRNjuggle28 is right. I assumed that, since we were speaking on the speedcubing forums, and I had specified a very limited group of people, the meaning of my phraseology should have been obvious, and because the alternate meaning would have been, as TMOY put it, absurd. I had also assumed that we were above assuming that others are stupid enough to intend such meanings. But apparently I was wrong about both those things. I apologize for any confusion.

Now, can we please return to the point of this thread?

 

[supercavitation]

I have not strayed from the intent of the thread. Some clarification was needed in order to fully make sense of what you are saying, which seems to essentially be that you no longer find the Rubik's Cube puzzling. I would say that I do, simply since no matter how hard I try, I cannot figure out HTA, certain algs, etc. There's always more to confuse and surprise you.

However, I do see the point you are making. Whether or not that changes the definition of the cube as a puzzle, remains to be seen.