# Painting Rubik (DD-442)

> First sold as the Magic Cube in Budapest in 1977, the Rubik's Cube became the world's best-selling toy, with about 500 million sold by January 2024. Its 43 quintillion possible positions can all be solved in 20 moves or fewer, a limit proved in 2010 with computing time from Google.

- Department: Tech
- First published: 2024-12-29
- Last updated: 2024-12-29
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/painting-rubik/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **1974**: Ernő Rubik invents the cube

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=painting-rubik

## Quick facts

- **DD-442-F01**: Ernő Rubik, 1974. _(Write-up · Exhibit D (A magnetic precursor))_
- **DD-442-F02**: 54 squares. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (43 quintillion positions))_

## Write-up

The colored squares are the least of the Rubik's Cube's surprises: the puzzle had a precursor, a mathematical limit that took decades to prove, and sales on a scale no other toy has matched.

1. **43 quintillion positions**: A standard cube has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible arrangements, about 43 quintillion.
2. **God's number**: In July 2010 a team including Tomas Rokicki, using computers provided by Google, proved that any position can be solved in at most 20 moves.
3. **Best-selling toy**: Around 500 million cubes had been sold worldwide by January 2024, making it the world's best-selling puzzle game and toy.
4. **A magnetic precursor**: Larry Nichols patented a magnet-held 2×2×2 'Puzzle with Pieces Rotatable in Groups' in April 1972, two years before Rubik invented his cube.
5. **The Magic Cube**: Originally called the Magic Cube (bűvös kocka), the first test batches went on sale in Budapest toy shops in late 1977.

## Reel vs. record

- **Note**: None needed.

## Video: Painting Rubik: Rubik's Cubes Are Usually Colored With Stickers or Plastic Tiles, Not Paint

- Duration: 21.4 s · Published: 2024-12-29
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DEJ32lyqoBz.mp4

### Transcript

Did you know? Rubik's cubes are not typically painted. Instead, their colored faces are created using stickers or plastic tiles. Early versions of the Rubik's Cube used adhesive vinyl stickers in six distinct colors, applied to each of the 54 square facets. These stickers could peel or fade over time, so modern Rubik's Cubes often feature colored plastic tiles that are more durable and integrated into the cube's design. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: Who invented it?**  
A: Hungarian. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (A magnetic precursor) · Wikipedia: Rubik's Cube)_

**Q: When?**  
A: 1970s. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (43 quintillion positions) · Wikipedia: Rubik's Cube)_

**Q: How many facets?**  
A: 6 x 9. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (43 quintillion positions) · Wikipedia: Rubik's Cube)_

**Q: Classic coloring?**  
A: Peel off. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (43 quintillion positions) · Wikipedia: Rubik's Cube)_

**Q: Modern cubes often use?**  
A: Stickerless. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Best-selling toy) · Wikipedia: Rubik's Cube)_

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Rubik's Cube](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubik%27s_Cube)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Painting Rubik." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-442, last updated Dec 29, 2024. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/painting-rubik/