Behind the Back Rubik's Cube

A couple of years ago, I shared PM's with some great people regarding the effects created on an audience by solving the Rubik's Cube behind your back. Since then, I have had quite a few repeated experiences that I would like to share regarding this stunt. Since those PM's, I have found that these procedures are working best for me. Your milage may vary.

Regarding the first time: I don't solve it behind my back the first time. Somebody actually said that I "switched cubes", and even though this sounds pretty ridiculous, at the time, it stole my thunder, and forced me to rethink this whole stunt. Nowadays, the first time I solve the thing, I do it right in front of the spectators. I don't hide my actions at all.

I do the intital moves getting the corners in place and both outsides while humming Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band and nodding my head from side to side like Ringo Starr did when he played the drums.

Right at the very end, I SLOW DOWN, and make my moves slowly and deliberately, glancing up at the spectators, raising one eyebrow. The cube still looks terribly messed up still and it doesn't look like much has happened. And as the last movements finish, the audience sees the cube come together and they see all the colors melt right into place.

This first experience is one of meta-cognition. They know the cube is twisted… and then… it seems… yes… I mean “no!”… No Way!... and with the final realization that the cube is solved, thier minds reel as they fully digest what the heck just happened.

This ending has proven time and time again to evoke STRONG emotional responses. The audience is seduced into silence. They look around at each other and they SMILE at each other.

If I am a show-off, (which I am), and if I like to show off (which I most certainly do…), then anything I do with the cube after this is going to have to evoke a stronger response than the first solution. Anything else will perfectly define the anti-climax. And that's just not cricket.

NOW is the time to solve it behind the back. With a wink of an eye, right in the middle of the last and final phases, I slowly move the cube behind my back (without losing my place!), and the audience sees me move it behind my back. This deliberate action evokes, not the response of "No way!", but rather the one of "NFW!"

And the second solution is now WAY better than the first one. The audience is pleased, they feel rewarded for their efforts. They feel like they got their money's worth.

And I am the hero again!

And I can live with that.

At this time I won’t disclose the follow up to these two phases. But I will say that it has a bit to do with what happens when one “gets bored” with the cube.