People of a certain vintage will remember a time during the 1980s when the Rubik’s Cube became a phenomenon. The multi-coloured cube challenged, stretched and tortured many a brain cell far and wide as proponents tried to solve the puzzle in even faster, record-breaking times.
Fast forward a decade or four and the Rubik’s Cube has evolved that they now come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, making the challenge of solving them even more difficult. Step forward Year 7 student from Imperial International School, Ipoh – Surya Hariprasad – who has written himself into the International Book of Records for successfully solving 60 Rubik’s Cubes in under 60 minutes.
The 11-year-old who hails from Kerala, India says he caught the Rubik’s Cube bug from his father. Noting his son’s enthusiasm for the puzzle, he invested in a multitude of cubes of varying shapes and sizes, believing them to be beneficial to developing his son’s critical and lateral thinking capabilities.
This proved to be true as Surya began to study the different algorithms for each cube and began to set himself time targets for completing each puzzle. Surya says he practices daily and believes this to be crucial to his success in being recognised for his achievements. It is an attitude which he applies to his schoolwork. Constant practice have helped him improve in his academic endeavours and his penchant for problem solving has held him in good stead in various subjects, especially Maths and Science.
Surya has been inundated by classmates for tips on how best to solve these puzzles. He advises newcomers to start with the simpler two-dimensional cubes before moving onto harder shapes. As with everything, Surya believes practice is imperative as ‘Cubers’ familiarise themselves with the algorithms. Best part about this hobby is that it clearly helps improve not just hand-eye coordination but also hastens problem-solving abilities. As such, Imperial academics have been keen to get more students to pick up this hobby and they now have Surya as a high profile ambassador to promote Rubik’s Cubes among his peers.
Surya says he has found the attention his record-breaking feats a bit overwhelming. “Friends, teachers and relatives have congratulated me on my achievement and are encouraging me to set more new records,” he smiles. “For now, I am just happy to have inspired many more of my Imperial schoolmates to pick up a Rubik’s Cube.
For more information on Imperial International School, please go to: www.imperial.edu.my
