# rubik's cube and sociology



## adragast (Nov 13, 2007)

Someone who can score a goal at football from 30 meters is a hero. Someone who manages a 3-point shot at basketball is very talented person.
Someone who solves the cube in less than 20 seconds is... a geek, a nerd, someone who "doesn't have a life" (comment from youtube of a Yuu Nakajima video).

Why ? Can you explain me this difference ? Is it because anyone can shoot in a ball or play with a basket ball and think it is fun whereas most people will get fed up with the rubik's cube ? If the rubik's cube was much easier, would Nakajima, Erik, ... considered better by people on youtube ?


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## masterofthebass (Nov 13, 2007)

That's an interesting observation. I think you're right on the fact that anyone can play soccer or basketball without much thought, but only some people can do it really well. For the cube on the other hand, because people feel it's impossible, they think that people who devote some time to it are abnormal. I think if everyone was able to solve the cube, the majority of people would hold the same views that most of us hold now, that the top cubers are amazing at their "sport" (can't bring myself to call it that) and that they are very talented.


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## fourdown00 (Nov 14, 2007)

anyone can solve a cube as well, just takes some time and dedication


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## CorwinShiu (Nov 15, 2007)

It's only because society does not recognize non-physical competitive activities as sports. If it was a respected sport (probably never going to happen anytime soon), cubers would receive much more respect from everyone else.


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## Dyste (Nov 15, 2007)

Well, most sports are more recreational and utilize balls or some external object that is hit or shot. I don't think you'd want to attack a rubik's cube.. Nonetheless, it isn't exactly an active physical exercise, other than the movement of the hands and fingers. It is more mental, but only really to the extent of memorization and logic.

I do agree, however, that it needs more recognition amongst the global community in order for it to flourish and become a less denigrated activity.


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## ExoCorsair (Nov 15, 2007)

CorwinShiu said:


> It's only because society does not recognize non-physical competitive activities as sports. If it was a respected sport (probably never going to happen anytime soon), cubers would receive much more respect from everyone else.



eSports are considered sports.

I think partially the reason why speedcubing is not considered a sport is because one cannot make a living (or at least a serious sum of money) out of it.


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## Dyste (Nov 15, 2007)

That's one reason, besides the fact that people don't compete for their nation, but more on an individual basis. Self-sponsorship isn't that difficult though.


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## badmephisto (Nov 15, 2007)

thats not true. Chess would be considered by most people as a sport, and a very hard sport at that too... When people see great players play chess its more like "wow you are so smart" kind of thing... I often get that from people that see me solve the cube as well, but the other half, as you said, asks me how much free time i have... 

somehow i think that people don't understand it, and thats where the difficulty must creep in... Scoring a 3point shot - everyone has tried it, and everyone understand how it works. But for the cube, noone really gets it so they are stuck assuming that it is Really complicated and hard, and hence you must have spent tons of time studying it... That's my theory at least


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## ExoCorsair (Nov 15, 2007)

badmephisto said:


> thats not true. Chess would be considered by most people as a sport, and a very hard sport at that too... When people see great players play chess its more like "wow you are so smart" kind of thing... I often get that from people that see me solve the cube as well, but the other half, as you said, asks me how much free time i have...



Chess is classified the same as cubing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports#Table_sports

It really depends on one's definition of 'sport'. In western society (at least, American society), the term 'sport' is just too tightly associated with outdoor activities.


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## CorwinShiu (Nov 15, 2007)

ExoCorsair said:


> Chess is classified the same as cubing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sports#Table_sports
> 
> It really depends on one's definition of 'sport'. In western society (at least, American society), the term 'sport' is just too tightly associated with outdoor activities.



How is cubing a table sport? You don't exactly need a table...? I think they just threw all the puzzles in that section. I demand that we get a new section!


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## Erik (Nov 17, 2007)

I can't do MM without a table...


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## ExoCorsair (Nov 17, 2007)

Master magic isn't a cube, though.


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## AvGalen (Nov 18, 2007)

You are lying Erik. I know how good your slice moves are and M2 is no problem for you


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## TimMc (Nov 18, 2007)

Demographic (thinking a speedcuber "doesn't have a life"):
- High Schoolers
- Ignorant People

Gambling:
- This may increase the sponsorship and turn it into a sport

Prerequisite - Intelligence:
- The average person that can't solve a Rubik's Cube would assume that someone who can has a high level of intelligence and is therefor stereotyped as a "smart person" or a "nerd". This stereotype can be abolished if such people realize that you just need to memorize a few sequences of moves much like how you memorize where Keys are located on a keyboard or the ability to recall a skill-set for a trade 

Tim.


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## jackolanternsoup (Nov 18, 2007)

i think one of the reasons for this is also movies... normally geek characters and people like that are the weilders of the cube in movies... Stereotype..


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## Dyste (Nov 19, 2007)

If people can memorize all those random names that are put into video games and all the various locations of towns and cities, and where and how they acquire weapons or other items, then memorizing how to solve a rubik's cube should be easy enough. It's more about general interest. It's not really much of a spectator sport.


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## Lotsofsloths (Nov 19, 2007)

I personally agree with dyste.


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## blindfold cube (Nov 20, 2007)

TimMc said:


> Demographic (thinking a speedcuber "doesn't have a life"):
> - High Schoolers
> - Ignorant People
> 
> .



This is true. For me, at school, some people really like me because i can cube so fast. It is my unique skill because no one at my school can cube as fast as me. Then you always have the crowd at school that thinks i have no life because i am fast and i cube so much. I don't let it bother me and there is no reason to let it bother me. Besides, most of the people who do say this to me have grades that are in the toilet. They are most likely to be garbage collectors or flipping burgers at Mcdonalds for a living because of how bad their grades are. (That why their opinions don't matter to me)



TimMc said:


> Gambling:
> - This may increase the sponsorship and turn it into a sport



I agree. It would greatly increase the interest of speedcubing.


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## joey (Nov 20, 2007)

To be honest, I don't really care what someone thinks of my cubing, because in the end it is MY cubing. If people like it, then thats good, if not, It doesn't bother me.


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## AvGalen (Nov 20, 2007)

TimMc said:


> Gambling:
> - This may increase the sponsorship and turn it into a sport


 
You mean like Stefan and I did on blindfolded results at Worlds? If so, nobody except Stefan was willing to bet against me.


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## CorwinShiu (Nov 20, 2007)

TimMc said:


> Gambling:
> - This may increase the sponsorship and turn it into a sport
> Tim.



Considering that a big chunk of the population of cubers are underaged, including myself, gambling might not be such a good thing. Also with gambling, you get bribes as well and we don't want our judges giving out +2 when it really isn't.


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## brad711 (Dec 31, 2007)

I think the same thing about Drum Corps, professional Marching Band. (dci.org) They practice much more than any football team, but somehow you have to pay to participate in Drum Corps. Why don't millions of people pay a lot of money to watch drum corps competitions? People are weird, and don't respect true greatness. Sorry to any football players, but the ability to solve a cube from any scrambled position in 15ish seconds or the ability to march a perfect show with amazingly hard music seems a lot harder than pushing some people around on a football field...


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## ExoCorsair (Dec 31, 2007)

brad711 said:


> Why don't millions of people pay a lot of money to watch drum corps competitions?



Football (both American and 'soccer') is [somewhat] violent, and people are sadists. <end sarcasm>

Really, though, it's because these groups are too specific; one HAS to like puzzles or [that specific genre of] music to be able to sit around and watch a cube competition or a DCI competition. I like music probably a lot more than the next person, but I really hate a lot of pieces Drum Corps play. It is impressive, but I wouldn't watch if unless paid to. I guess the idea of "if you've seen it once, you've seen it all" applies here.

Not to defend football (I don't really watch sports), but sports in general just appeals to many more people than cubing or Drum Corps. Not many people care after seeing it once.


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## cmhardw (Jan 1, 2008)

AvGalen said:


> TimMc said:
> 
> 
> > Gambling:
> ...




I lost 200 Forints to Frank Morris at worlds betting on the cutoff time for 3x3x3 finals. Oh no, cube gambling on the rise!

;-)

Chris


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## fourdown00 (Jan 8, 2008)

I dont think the cube could get any easier


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## jonny guitar (Jan 9, 2008)

I was having a conversation last night regarding a similar thing. When I was telling someone about my latest cube accomplishments they simply stated, "Seems like a huge waste of time...why bother?"

They have no objections to me spending hours reading poker and back gammon books to get better at the games, they understand why I play hours of guitar a day to improve, they support training for a marathon over the course of many months, etc. etc. -- they just don't get wanting to be good at the cube. They honestly think running a marathon is more impressive than doing a cube in sub 10 seconds; even after I explained that millions of millions of people can run a marathon compared to a damn near impossible sub 10 solve they still gave the cube feat no credit.


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## darkzelkova (Jan 11, 2008)

jonny guitar said:


> They have no objections to me spending hours reading poker and back gammon books to get better at the games, they understand why I play hours of guitar a day to improve, they support training for a marathon over the course of many months, etc. etc. -- they just don't get wanting to be good at the cube. They honestly think running a marathon is more impressive than doing a cube in sub 10 seconds; even after I explained that millions of millions of people can run a marathon compared to a damn near impossible sub 10 solve they still gave the cube feat no credit.



I think that this is a really good point. What makes it better to run a marathon than get 3rd in the world championships of cubing? I personally think that a sub-10 solve is far cooler than a football game. I think that it is comparable to a sub-10 100 meter dash in the Olympics. Yeah.


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## icke (Jan 11, 2008)

if you see people who like there sport or even wont (or have) a carrier in it, dedicate the same amount of time or even more to practice and play. it starts in high school. if you are a kid who is talented you practice at lest one hour a day. you cant meet your friends when you have practice or do other stuff (or even eat what you wont). so most of the time they have to spend or wast more time with there sport then cubers do. i dont think that running a marathon is compareable with solving a cube in sub-10. there are more poeple running and they think it is impressiv to accomplish the marathon but it can take 8 hours and then it is more like solving the cube in 1:30 min. btw armwrestling or curling is a sport and they cant make a living out of it either. i dont think, sport has to be violent, to be watch by people there are tons of sports that are nonvilont (snooker, darts, tennis or swimming) and they have a lot of viewers everytime they compet.


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