Rubik’s Cubes are not just a bygone 80s phenomenon. Thanks to a recent surge in popularity, the iconic three-dimensional puzzle has morphed into a competitive event of international proportions.
San Diego’s first-ever competition will take place at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park on Saturday, May 6. Roughly 40 participants are expected from across the city and region.
Event organizer Adam Zamora founded the local competition to provide a venue for San Diego’s cubers. He hopes to see men, women and children of all ages in attendance.
“It’s pretty much [open to] anyone who is willing to learn how to solve a Rubik’s Cube,” Zamora said. “Kids are always willing to pick up a cube and learn how to solve it.”
The puzzle has a devoted following among the mathematically inclined, and Zamora said it is not unusual for cubers to travel for competitions.
“It’s just like any other hobby,” he said. “People who are into cars or motorcycles, they’ll travel thousands of miles to go to a car show because somebody is going to be there or a vehicle is going to be there.”
Participants are given cubes that have been scrambled according to computer programs and vary in size. The competitions include a number of timed challenges, namely 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, 3×3 one-handed, 3×3 blindfolded, Magic and Master Magic events. The most advanced cubers can solve the puzzle in four steps and 13 seconds using mathematical algorithms to orient the pieces, while blindfolded and one-handed challenges take mere minutes.
According to Zamora, some methods contain as many as 40 possibilities to memorize for each step, while beginner solutions contain only seven.
“What we’ve basically done is learn a lot of different algorithms or patterns in order to figure out what the pieces are doing and where to move them “” and then it’s doing it fast,” he said.
The science center has welcomed speedcubing to its Weekend Talk Series, which is designed to provide the public with hands-on, accessible science for all ages.
“[The series] is designed to span a broad spectrum of scientific and technological topics and the Rubik’s Cube competition, for example, demonstrates to adults and kids alike that math is not just about crunching numbers,” said Jeremy Pyle, museum public relations manager.
Zamora would like to see more speedcubing events at Balboa Park and is in talks about another one for the fall.
Registration is open to all from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The competition runs until 4 p.m. Participants who pre-register receive free admission to the museum. For more information, visit www.speedcubing.com or www.rhfleet.org.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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