InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "IJ rocks my socks off!"

I. (i_) wrote,
@ 2005-12-25 00:00:00

(x-posed to

100_words)

Sometimes, I put the full force of my intellect, persona, charisma, or will behind doing such trivial things. I've learned how to solve a Rubik's cube (and I'm actually starting to understand why the moves work) and I can solve it in under five minutes. I have taught groups of students to do things I myself did not know how to do (partly just for the fun of it and partly just to prove to myself that I am that good).

Yet I can't just walk across the street to the bar by myself, much less talk to anyone there.

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	beardedlynie 2006-04-11 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	Why hello! I haven't been over here in a while. Teach me to solve a Rubik's cube!!! They have always stumped me. My logic isn't curved that way. ;) (Reply to this) (Thread)

i_
2006-04-11 10:03 pm UTC (link)

hi :)

the solution method that's in the booklet that comes with the cube now is kind of annoying and hard. it requires memorizing something liek 7-10 algorithms (sequences of moves to perform specific tasks). with a little work and making more moves than really needed, this can be trimmed back to 5, which is what i first memorized. it was unsatisfying.

i found another solution online that requires only two algorithms, both of which have a great deal of symmetry and one of which was in the set of 5 i'd learned for the other method. in this method, you place all the edge pieces first with one algorithm, then all the corners with the other algorithm. both algorithms also have some sense to them and with not too much thought one can see why they work. the web site, however, was not entirely clear, so it took me about as long to learn this method as the other way. other people i've taught have picked this method up in about half the time of people i've taught the other way.

when do you want to learn? :)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	i_ 2006-04-12 05:01 am UTC (link)
	wow, i didn't realize just how far back you'd gone to comment ;) (Reply to this) (Parent)