September 10, 2004
Rubik's Magic Links
In addition to the Rubik's Cube, I've always liked the Rubik's Magic Links thingy. I don't know if Ernesto Rubik is responsible for this design as well, but it does share a very important trait with the cube: magic hinges.
Both the cube and this puzzle toy are capable of fluid deterministic motion along hinges which are mutable.. eg, the hinges can move, or change, or in the right circumstances unhinge completely. The object you were hinged to a second ago is nowhere near you now. I find it very amazing.
Here is my Rubik's Magic Links toy:
As you can see, it starts as a 2x4 rectangle of smaller squares, hinged together along the sides. You can fold up the rectangle almost like a peice of paper, or perferated stiff cardboard. It starts with an illustration of three unlinked rings on one side.. and gibberish on the other.
Here I am starting to fold the thing lengthwise:
When I fold it all the way it lies folded, which doesn't look interesting enough to photograph. But I can pull up on one side and it will prop up..... as a ring of squares?!
There are an infinitude of ways you can fold the thing. Your initial goal is to "link the rings", aka fold it until you get this shape and illustration.
Needless to say, these linked rings arise out of the gibberish that started out on the back-side ;) The squares can rehinge themselves in fairly astonishing ways, but the images on them behave normally.
To see some more pictures of the object being folded up in the most outlandish ways imaginable (worth a look if you've never seen this thing before, not kidding!) I've collected a bunch of other photos in a *gallery*, including a series of photos which can step you through a tricky bit in arriving at the initial solution — also explained in the link I made at the beginning of this post. I say "initial" because once you've figured that out pedestrian puzzle, you begin to amuse yourself by seeing what forms of heresy you can fold this into. It really is quite astounding :)
Posted by jesse at September 10, 2004 01:28 AM