There are many puzzles and mysteries in this world: What is the meaning of life? Who really runs the world? What should I have for dinner? Will we achieve immortality in this lifetime? How do people solve Rubik's Cubes? I do not have definitive answers to those first four, instead we will be answering the last question—how to solve a Rubik's Cube.
We will learn how to go from a mess of colors (see left) to a neat, organized cube (see right).
First, we should define what we mean by Rubik's Cube, as the term is often colloquially used to mean many different types of puzzles.
We will be solving the original type of Rubik's Cube, the 3x3.
Invented in 1974 by Ernõ Rubik and originally called the "Magic Cube," this puzzle still baffles many people today.
Considering there are
43,252,003,274,489,856,000—that is, 43 quintillion—possible permutations
of a Rubik's Cube, it is no wonder that people think that you are some sort of brainiac for knowing how to solve one.
Thankfully, it is not nearly as hard as you may think.
In fact, solving a Rubik's Cube can be an almost completely intuitive process while only needing a few algorithms.
I will show you (yes, you!) how to solve a 3x3 Rubik's Cube with my beginner's tutorial.