Jacob Wang Week 13: How to Memorize a Rubik's Cube
So, I often watch cubing videos on YouTube and just yesterday stumbled across a video of someone solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded. In blindfolded you memorize the cube at first, then put on the blindfold and solve it based on your memory. I went to the comments on the video and was astonished by the confident ignorance that was being displayed. One of the comments said it was the u2 method (there's no such thing as the u2 method, it was 3-style), another comment said the person used a bunch of J-perms (J-perm is a completely unrelated cubing strategy from normal solving and irrelevant to memory categories). Some people just plain said it's fake, which makes me really mad as a blindfold solver myself.
So, here's how it really works. First of all, every 3bld (abbreviation of 3x3 blindfolded) uses a lettering scheme. I use white-top green-front and Speffz, which is the most common lettering scheme as shown in the picture.
Since there are 20 pieces total, each solve you need to memorize roughly 20 letters of information. This is most commonly done by splitting the letters into pairs and then associating a more easily memorized word with it. For example, JT could be JeT. For a string of letters like JT FA VW BV I would do something like JeT FAster than VolksWagen with a cow (BoVine) on it. Then you would use whatever choice of method to actually execute the memorized stuff, which I won't get into because the blog is about memory after all. But there are special methods that can move individual pieces without changing any of the other ones, preserving the original state that you memorized it in while solving your target piece.
Currently, I am rather slow, taking about 20 seconds to memorize. World-class solvers, however, memorize in less than 5 seconds. They are so fast that they don't even use visual memory, but rather they just make sounds (or gibberish), like for the aforementioned JT FA VW BV they might just think JAT FA VOW BOV.
Hello, Jacob! It's really impressive that you're able to solve the Rubik’s Cube blindfolded! The amount of memory and precision that the process must require in order to memorize the cube before blindfolding is incredible, forget the actual solving of it and keep track of where each letter is at any point in time. What I found even more intriguing is how you mentioned that in order to fully have the cube memorized and get anywhere with the actual solving process, you essentially must construct a mental map of the cube, a feat that in itself is difficult under time pressure. It was perhaps the one part of the process that I could relate to, creating a visual in order to keep track of each letter and make sure it ends up exactly where you want it to be. Solving a Rubik's Cube blindfolded truly is an art form in that one must fine-tune and train their mind to recall vast amounts of information. The concept is in itself one that is truly fascinating.
ReplyDeleteHey Jacob! Irrespective of whether you are in flex, walking around school, or sometimes even during classes, I can always see you with a Rubik’s cube in your hand. It is beyond impressive how quickly you can solve the cube, and how much time and effort you dedicate to your craft. I too once used to remember how to solve the Rubik’s cube, and although I was not nearly as fast as you are, I understand very well the enjoyment of getting incrementally faster at solving the cube. I really enjoyed how you started your blog with a reaction to interactions you had online, something that is relatable to me since I have similar reactions to people spreading incorrect information online while pretending to be competent. The fact that you can memorize so many combinations, orientations, and color positions of a cube in just a short time of looking at it is beyond impressive, especially since I can rarely remember any piece of information precisely for even a few seconds. I think your ability to process information at such high speeds is something that will prove invaluable in your future. I hope that you are able to make something big with your ability to solve Rubik’s cubes!
ReplyDeleteHey Jacob! To be very frank, I think even being able to solve a Rubik’s cube is impressive in itself, let alone being blindfolded in doing so. While you may not compare to the 5 seconds of world class solvers, I think 20 seconds is still incredibly fast considering I can’t even solve a Rubik’s cube. Growing up, I watched my brother learning how to solve the Rubik’s cube so I generally knew there was a pattern to solving them, but never actually knew what the pattern was. After hearing how fast you can memorize these patterns it seems my memory, which I once thought to be pretty good, was put in absolute shame considering yours. Thus, I found your blog quite informative, so much so I might just consider learning how to solve a Rubik’s cube (if I ever even get around to it). Whether or not I get around to it, I think with your practice and dedication you will one day get closer or even surpass world class acts. Thank you for the informative read!
ReplyDeleteHello, Jacob! It is amazing that you can solve a Rubik's cube and within a certain amount of time with a blindfold! My cousin also loved Rubik's cubes and he used to carry it around with him everywhere he went. Once when I was in fourth grade I attempted to solve it but could only solve one side, it was simply impossible to solve the whole thing. Then again in seventh grade, my cousin who loves Rubik's cube, tried to teach me, and if I am being honest I could do it only with guidance, as the steps were just too many. But as it is said, practice makes you perfect...just that I gave up on it. To this day I find those videos where young kids solve Rubik's cube and those that do it in an impressingly short time, I can't help it but feel proud. Being able to memorize the whole Rubik's cube within 20 seconds is incredible! It is an amazing skill, as it sharpens your memory and problem solving skills. Anyways, I truly enjoyed reading your blog!
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