Who: Daniel Kunkle and Jonathan Schaeffer
What: The games that we play like checkers and the Rubiks Cube are also related to math.
When: October 3, 2007
Where: Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts
Why: The reason that the scientists researched the Rubik's cube among other games is because there is a math and science part to them. When we play these games we don't even realize that we're doing math and having fun at the same time. The scientists Kunkle and Cooperman tested the Rubik's cube on how many steps it would take to solve it. They realized that there was a pattern to this Rubik's cube and that if you turn it in the right pattern it will be solved. The scientists found out that there are over 80 million ways to figure out the cube.
My Opinion: My opinion on these interesting games is that they're a lot of fun. I do believe that if children thought it was for math that the games would be used much less. I have a Rubik's cube, but I play with it when I'm bored for fun as do some of my other friends. The games are pretty addicting though. Once you start messing with the cube you want to keep going because you want to figure it out so badly. I think it's amazing that so many people struggle to solve the Rubik's cube when there's over 80 million ways to figure it out. Other games like chess and checkers also relate to math. I actually didn't know that they did I just moved a piece and hope no one would take it from me. The games, chess and checkers, have a lot to do with probability or chance (almost like gambling).
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.com/articles/20071003/Feature1.asp
