6x6x6 Swapped Edges

I solved this puzzle a couple times using the same approach as with a 4x4x4—

1. White and Yellow Centers
2. 8 Corners
3. White and Yellow Edges
4. Middle Layer Edges
5. Middle Layer Centers

There is never a parity issue when doing it this way. Never. But then I read that Kevin Sadler has a different way of solving it that also avoids parity. I tried following his outline but obviously did something wrong because at the end it looked like

Four Newish Puzzles

Earlier this spring our house was broken into during the day. Among other things about half my puzzle collection was stolen. Around 40 puzzles. You know, twisty puzzles. Like Rubik's Cubes.

Today in the mail I received a box from overseas with 4 puzzles:

A new Buzzle Ball. I scrambled it once and managed to solve it using primarily the fiddle around trying to figure it out method. I'm looking forward to getting better acquainted with this strange new twisty puzzle.

An old flat-sided V-Cube 6 that probably hadn't been used very much because it isn't very easy to turn. From what I've seen online the new pillowed V-Cube 6 is much much better. I've never had a 6x6x6 cube, so it is nice to have one now. Among the puzzles stolen was a V-Cube 7, an Eastsheen 5x5x5, and a variety of 4x4x4's. So the old V-Cube 6 is my one and only big cube now. I like the weight and size  and shape of it and plan to have more fun with it whenever I get the urge to solve a big cube.

A 2x2x2 cube. My old 2x2x2 cube was stolen! The Rubik's Ice Cube in the drawer doesn't even count as a 2x2x2 as far as playability goes. It is nice to have a good 2x2x2 again. It seems to turn better than the Eastsheen I had, too.

A Hungab Ghost Cube. I've seen some of the Ghost Cube hype online, but didn't think I would get one. I've been in a bit of a slump puzzle-wise for several months. I bought an Evil Eye 2 months ago and only got around to playing with it this month. When a puzzle friend from around the world offered to give me a Ghost Cube, along with the other 3 puzzles, you can imagine that my interest in Ghost Cubes spiked! This thing is beautiful.

Squirrel Friends

A colleague at CTB introduced me to her squirrel friends. Today I had a good chance to share lunch with them. Sitting on the backseat of my car with my feet on the ground, I held a piece of peanut butter sandwich where the squirrels could take it out of my hand if they would come up to me. A couple of them did.

Curvy Rhombohedron Skewb

The first couple solves I just started putting pieces together that looked like they needed to be put together. Eventually a 3-cycle or a twist or two needed to be done to finish up and I drew from my Skewb Family Arsenal of Algorithms (I just made that up).

But then Kevin asked how I solve the Skewb, so I got out the Skewb Cube and solved it. Then the Tetrahedral Skewb. Then the Squished Skewb. Then I intentionally tried to use the same strategy to solve the Curvy Rhombo Skewb.

Documented Scramble #1: DNF
After getting the first 8 pieces solved, leaving only 6 to go, the thing still looked scrambled! After using a setup move and the 3-cycle to place 2 of the 6 pieces, and not being able to see how to undo the simple setup move, I decided that although it is possible to solve in the same way, a more intuitive approach would be better.

Documented Scramble #2:
After solving the yellow layer, including the green and purple triangle center pieces, one twist of the black layer was needed to solve the 3 remaining triangle center pieces. That left the 3 remaining edges out of place and the remaining corner twisted. After using Double-EPS to place the edges instead of the pure 3-cycle, both of the diagonally opposite corner pieces needed twisted. I don't think it is possible to twist them together, so I twisted each one with a triangle using an algorithm that hadn't been used in any of the previous posts' solves. I will not even attempt to type it out.

So it turns out I not only demonstrated the algorithm. I also showed what happens when unexpected results happen, and one way to solve mysteries! :D

Documented Scramble #3:
Very difficult to get the yellow layer this time. The first several times I tried it this way it seemed almost trivial to get a layer solved. But this time, either it was a different scramble, or my mind wasn't in sync with the puzzle as before. This can be a problem when solving intuitively rather than with a systematic strategy. I ended up using Triple-EPS a couple times to swap pieces into place on the yellow layer.

After solving most of the black layer as described in #2, once again I ended up with the 2 small corners twisted. Two lessons to learn. First, if I would use the same steps as I do with other Skewb puzzles, I wouldn't have this problem at the end. So is it worth it to work through a more visually challenging solve at the beginning to make the endgame go more smoothly?

Secondly, it dawned on me that one conclusion I made in #2 above is incorrect. I said "I don't think it is possible to twist them together," because one is in the corner role and the other in the center role (thinking of the Tetrahedral Skewb). But what did I learn in the video above? I can twist 1 corner and 3 triangles, in the unshapeshifted puzzle, and 2 of the triangles are centers! So I can twist a corner and a center together! Yay!

In conclusion... well, is it ever really concluded? Let's just say that after several more solves I have decided that at this point I rather like solving it using the same basic approach taken with the other Skewb Family puzzles. That is, get the 2 small corners and the 6 triangles first. This only takes a few simple twists. Maybe 1 EPS. So with half a dozen twists or less more than half the puzzle is solved! Then 3-cycle the 6 big pieces home.

If a corner needs twisted without disturbing triangles, up twist down replace up twist-the-other-way down go-back works well and is pretty simple. Let's see.

Bottom line though, with this puzzle, as with any puzzle, there is no right or wrong, easy or hard, better or worse, way to solve it. I may decide on a favorite way to solve it tonight, but 6 months from now pick it up and take a whole different approach. I suppose I should demonstrate the Preferred Method applied to this one, so

Documented Scramble #4:

Squished Skewb Solve

I think the Squished Skewb is great! The shapes you can make with it are fun and interesting. The quality of the puzzle is very good (thank you LanLan). Here is a solve.

In this solve the corners only took a couple twists plus one EPS. None of the corners needed to twist after being placed. That scenario was covered in the Skewb Cube video and works the same with the Squished Cube.

Meier-Halpern Pyramid (Jing's Pyraminx)

In the previous post I showed a solve of the Skewb Cube. The Meier-Halpern Pyramid corners can be solved like the first 4 corners in the Skewb video, with just a few simple twists. If the centers are not solved they can be solved with one EPS. Or, if preferred, the centers can be solved later using a Triple-EPS.

Now the edges may be solved with the same algorithm as the Skewb center squares, but there are easier ways. For example, the EPS can be used to place them if centers are going to be solved last, or the Double-EPS can be used to place them if the centers are already solved. So it just depends on whether you like having the centers and corners all solved first, or not. Why can this simpler method be used here, but not with the Skewb Cube? Because it twists the centers of the Tetrahedron, which doesn't matter, unless orientation of the centers matters to you. It doesn't to me. I ignore the grain of the stickers. If it matters, the longer algorithm demonstrated in the Skewb Cube video works.

Finally, if a pair of edges need flipped, without disturbing the rest of the puzzle ,,,

How I Prefer Solving a Skewb

Now that I've watched it, I have one thing to say. When twisting two corners, they have to need to twist opposite directions. Don't try to use this method to twist two corners in the same direction. It won't work. But you probably knew that already.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom January 2014

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom January 2014, a set on Flickr.

What a fun day we had with Rory, Rebecca, Roark, Roriana, Robert, and Jaci. It was the best ever elephant show I've ever seen, showing what kind of work Asian Elephants do in the real world. The dolphins were very impressive, and looked so happy! :D And the tigers. I've never seen tigers do anything besides lay around or pace.

R&R_Twisting

R&R_Twisting, a photo by robertpauljr on Flickr.

The highlight of the field trip for me was the ride to and from. The whole day was good, especially since R&R were along.

Free

I have recently been watching a series of 4 messages online. It starts out by posing:

It’s difficult to solve a problem when you don’t understand what’s wrong to begin with. Many of us have been trying to solve the problem of “us” for a long time. Some of you have lost friends, family, or jobs because you couldn’t solve you. Some of you have paid someone good money to solve you. But what if the real problem is that you don’t know what the problem is?

And then he tells what the problem is and how to fix it.

Want to know more? Go to Free. If it isn't on Part 1 click the 1 button at the bottom.

Rescuing Our Kids

Tuolumne River June 2013

Tuolomne River June 2013, a set on Flickr.

I got to spend a weekend with Rory and fam. One of the highlights was a trip to the Tuolumne River.