Community Corner

Solve a Rubik's Cube Blindfolded? 'Definitely'

Timeless toys are endless frustration for some, competitive sport for others.

Just last weekend, a friend tried to show me how to solve a regular, plain old, 3 x 3 x 3 Rubik's Cube. As I watched the colored squares swivel, his instructions faded into "blah blah blah," and I realized that I would never be able to unlock the mystery of this blasted toy.

Even the cheat sheet had my head spinning.

So when I walked by Ade, 15 and Felix, 17, working on these puzzles at , I couldn't help but attack them with questions.

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They were more than happy to humor a dull, puzzle-inept old lady and show off their skills.

It turns out this is a competitive endeavor, there's even a national competition; last year the finals were at MIT, this year they'll be in Ohio. 

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And competition is about more than speed—there are competitions to see who can complete a puzzle in the fewest moves and even one to complete the puzzle blindfolded.

"Can you do a puzzle blindfolded?" I asked Felix incredulously. 

"Oh, definitely."

 

Though I would have liked to have included pictures of these two Clarksville teens, we try not photograph minors if their parents aren't around to give the OK. Hopefully they will get in touch and we can cover a competition at some time in the future.


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