How many are the possible combinations of a Rubik’s Cube? Who invented the most famous toy? Who is the biggest, the smallest, the most expensive Rubik’s Cube? What is God’s number? Is there a devil’s algorithm? These and much more you will learn in this delightful article!
Magician Tristan shares 17 incredible facts about the most famous toy, called “Rubik’s Cube”! 17 facts that literally don’t fit in your brain!
1) It was not meant to be a toy!
The Rubik’s Cube was created in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and architecture teacher Erno Rubik. He created it in an attempt to find a new teaching method to help his students understand 3D objects.
2) No one knew how to solve it!
After the cube was created, there was a big problem: No one knew how to solve it… Not even the person who created it! A whole university was trying to find the solution, and at one point they considered the possibility that it might not even exist. Finally, Erno Rubik himself solved the cube after a month! If that seems like a lot, imagine yourself solving it without instructions. It’s safe to say that even the top speed cubers -probably- couldn’t manage it!
3) It had a different name!
Erno Rubik registered the cube as a patent and in 1977 he put it on the market for the first time under the name “Magic Cube”!
4) How it went global…
Three years later, in 1980, Erno Rubik collaborated with the toy company “Ideal” to distribute his “product” on the world market. The cube was renamed from “Magic Cube” to “Rubik’s Cube” and is said to have been the company’s idea.
5) An unexpected lawsuit…
In 1957, puzzle maker Larry D. Nichols created a cube with 2x2x2 rotating planes and six sides. The well-known 2×2. In 1972 it was patented by Nichols. 2 years later Rubik patented his own cube. By the early 80’s Rubik’s Cube was a huge success and then the company he was working with was sued by Nichols for patent stealing. The court eventually ruled that there was no violation because one cube had two layers and the other had three. Moreover, the internal mechanism of the cubes was completely different.
6) Erno Rubik does not call Rubik’s Cube by its name!
The creator of the Rubik’s Cube, namely Rubik, cannot call the famous game by its official name. He calls it “my cube”! He once said: “It sounds strange coming from my mouth to say ‘Rubik’s Cube’. If I have a child I call him ‘my child’ and not ‘Rubik’s child'”!
7) Rubik’s Cube is the most successful toy in history!
Since 1980, over 400 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold and one fifth of the world has played with it, making it the best-selling puzzle game in history! Bear in mind that this statistic is only for the company’s official cubes and not other companies’ cubes or copies…
8) Culture phenomenon!
The Rubik’s Cube became a huge cultural phenomenon in the 80s, where it was featured in movies, magazines, etc. He even had his own TV series called “Rubik the Amazing Cube”! In the following decades it continued to exist in a softer tone and, subtly, a global community began to form. Reaching the present day, where the Rubik’s Cube is enjoying its most successful era!
9) Unthinkable combinations!
The slightest movement made in a cube is a combination. The Rubik’s Cube has a little more than 43 quintillion combinations! 43,252,003,274,489,489,856,000 to be exact! A number the human brain cannot comprehend! Imagine if we made a different combination every second, in one week we would make a million combinations. But to reach one billion would take 31 years! Which means that even if we had all the people on earth helping us, doing the same thing, we still wouldn’t reach even half of the possible combinations!
10) If there was a cube for each combination!
If we put a cube for every possible combination that exists, one on top of the other, it would amount to 260 light years. And if we put them side by side, they would cover the entire surface of the Earth… 300 times!
11) God’s number!
Is there a maximum number of moves required to solve any Rubik’s Cube, regardless of its mixing? There is and it is known as the “God’s Number”! In July 2010, a survey conducted, using high-tech means, concluded that this number is 20! In short, any shuffling of the Rubik’s Cube can be solved in 20 moves maximum!
12) The Devil’s algorithm!
Is there a single movement pattern that can solve any cube, regardless of its shuffling? Yes! The Devil’s Algorithm… Don’t get too excited, there is a catch! This is a theoretical algorithm which is a very interesting topic among Rubik’s Cube enthusiasts. A subject – temptation that will more burn your brain than help you to solve it in the end. Follow God’s number!
13) There are Rubik’s Cube software and applications!
How could there not be software and applications that solve Rubik’s Cube? They are called Rubik’s Cube Solvers and they can find an optimal solution in 20 moves. In short they solve it for you! Personally… I won’t give my opinion. Just learn to solve Rubik’s Cube!
14) The biggest Rubik’s Cube!
The biggest Rubik’s Cube was created by Tony Fisher in 2019 with a height of 2.02 meters! The same man also holds the record for the smallest Rubik’s Cube which is 5.6mm. Tony Fisher, however, is not just a random builder, but a brilliant and innovative creator of cubes, puzzles and games!
15) The Cube with the most levels!
The cube with the most levels was created by Grégoire Pfennig or Creg’s Puzzles and is the 33x33x33! Imagine here what happens with the combinations mentioned before! This monster is made up of 6153 3D printed pieces and 6154 stickers! Imagine that to create one of these cubes you would need 1331 3×3 cubes!
16) The most expensive Rubik’s Cube!
If you think your Gan Cube is expensive, you may not have heard of the “Masterpiece Cube”! It was made in 1995 by Diamond Cutters International, a jewelry store, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the official release of the Rubik’s Cube. The color of each side is composed of intricately placed gemstones. The green consists of emeralds, the red of rubies, etc. The Masterpiece Cube can be turned, mixed and solved normally like any cube, with the only difference that worths $1.5 million! Imagine dropping it! However, for those who are interested, the company selling it with free shipping and a refund in the first 14 days!
17) Rubik’s Cube fastest solve!
Every year, all over the world, many official tournaments and competitions are held, with cubes of all types and categories. On June 11, 2023, Max Park set a new record by solving the Rubik’s Cube 3×3 in 3.13 seconds!
