CREATOR OF RUBIK'S CUBE

Erno Rubik

He was born on 13 July 1944 in Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary, to poet Magdolna and glider-manufacturer Erno. He was inspired by his father's value-creating process of a target and a positive result, working with his hands.

He studied sculpture at Technical University and architecture at Academy of Applied Arts & Design, in Budapest. He became a member of Architecture Faculty. From 1967, he attended Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts and was Faculty of Interior Architecture & Design. 

While a professor of design at the academy, he pursued hobby of building geometric models. One of these was a prototype of his cube, made of 27 wooden blocks; it took him a month to solve the problem of the cube. It proved a useful tool for teaching algebraic group theory.

In late 1977 Konsumex, Hungary's state trading company, began marketing it. By 1980 Rubik's Cube was marketed throughout the world and over 100 million authorised units, with an estimated 50 million unauthorised imitations, were sold in first 3 years. Over 50 books were published describing how to solve Rubik's Cube

In early 1980s, he became editor of a game and puzzle journal called ..És játék (...And games). In 1983, he founded Rubik Studio, where he designed furniture and games. Among its products was another popular puzzle toy, Rubik's Magic along with Rubik's Snake and Rubik's 360 and more. 

In 1987 he became a professor with full tenure. In 1990 he became president of Hungarian Engineering Academy. At the Academy, he created International Rubik Foundation to support talented young engineers and industrial designers. 

He is actively involved in promotion of science in education. He works with several organizations: Beyond Rubik's Cube, Rubik Learning Initiative & Judit Polgar Foundation all of whose aim is to engage students in science, mathematics, and problem solving at a young age. 

His inspirations include Leonardo da Vinci, whom he regards as the Renaissance man; Michelangelo, whom he respects as a polymath, painter and sculptor, and M.C. Escher, who drew impossible constructions and grappled with explorations of infinity. 

In philosophers and writers, he admires Voltaire, Stendhal, Thomas Mann, Jean-Paul Sartre, Hungarian poet Attila Jozsef, Jules Verne and Isaac Asimov. In the field of architecture, he is an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. 

A lifelong bibliophile,  he has a special interest in science fiction, outdoor activities of walking through nature, playing sports and sailing on Lake Balaton. He is an avid gardener and collecting succulents is his favourite pastime.

WORLD’S FIRST CELEBRITY ROBOT

Sophia 

The world’s first celebrity robot is considered to be "Sophia". Developed by Hanson Robotics, Sophia made her debut in 2016 and gained international attention for her human-like appearance and advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. 

Sophia was designed to interact with humans, engage in conversations, and showcase facial expressions. Her media appearances and interviews with prominent personalities turned her into a sensation, leading to her recognition as a celebrity. Sophia's presence at events and conferences symbolised technological innovation and sparked discussions about the future of robotics and AI.

While there have been other famous robots throughout history, Sophia stands out as a significant milestone in the development of humanoid robots and their integration into popular culture. 

DO YOU KNOW

How was Detective Sherlock Holmes character created?

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were written by the English doctor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 

How did Doyle create these characters? This is the story.

When Doyle started studying medicine at Edinburgh University in 1877, he met Dr. Joseph Bell.

Bell was a Scottish surgeon. He made detailed observations when diagnosing his patients. To improve his observation skills, he observed people he didn’t know. He made deductions from their recent activities. He also took part in many forensic investigations in England by using his observations with his medical knowledge. With this talent, he became the pioneer of forensic science. He showed the importance of science and observation in forensic investigations.

Doyle was so fascinated by Bell’s talent and inspired by his methods that he created the character Sherlock Holmes. He wrote 56 stories and 4 novels about Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock became so popular that various films and television series were made.

COLOUR STORY

The Origins Of Yellow

It’s not very hard to find the colour yellow all around us. Just take a look out the window and you’ll see flowers, insects and even our own clothing all brimming with this bright colour. But how did yellow come to feature in everyday life? That’s a story that starts far back in time.

Yellow in nature: Ochre

Nowadays, yellow isn’t just a colour used for decoration. It comes in a multitude of shades, from bright to light, and people use these to set a mood or depict certain emotions. But where did it all start? With yellow ochre. Known as an ‘earth pigment’, ochre is a natural mineral that is found in rocks or sand across the globe. It was among the first minerals used by humans.

Prehistory

Ancient peoples also seemed to paint their walls. One of the first cave paintings that uses yellow can be found in Lascaux, southwestern France. This cave painting of a horse is said to be around 17,300 years old! 

How it’s made…

Prehistoric yellow paint was made with clay containing yellow ochre that was mixed with spit or animal fat to create a paste. This paste would vary in shades from yellow to brown depending on the sand.

The Renaissance

How it’s made...

In the 1500s, artists used oil paints, made by mixing yellow pigment made with yellow ochre, with linseed oil. 

During the 16th century, yellow was associated with the disciple that betrayed Jesus Christ, Judas, and was used to depict envy or jealousy in artworks. It was often the colour of illness, as some cases of yellow fever would turn patients’ skin a mild shade of yellow. And later, in 18th century England, if you were seen to be a coward, you were called ‘yellowbellied’. Cowards were said to have a slippery nature, like reptiles. Some snakes and lizards have yellow undersides.

Ancient Egypt

How it’s made...

The ancient Egyptians used many natural minerals to create paints, including ochre. For brighter shades of yellow, they chose to use the mineral ‘orpiment’. Ground orpiment was blended with animal glues or natural gums to create a rich lemon or canary yellow.

In ancient Egypt, each colour had a symbolic meaning and yellow was the colour of the gods! It was believed that the skin and bones of the gods were made of gold. Meaning ‘eternal’ and ‘indestructible’, yellow was often blended with precious metals, like gold, to make depictions of the gods glow. Priests or priestesses of ancient Egypt were said to sometimes paint themselves yellow to ‘become’ closer to the gods.

The Modern Era

How it’s made…

In 1856, a chemical process that could create synthetic versions of natural pigments was discovered. This meant that more colours could be manufactured faster. At the end of the 19th century, there were over 8000 types of synthetic dyes to choose from, yellow being one of them!

New synthetic dyes meant that 18th and 19th century life was more colourful than ever! Yellow became the most popular way to attract attention in the French court. This meant that yellow hats, gloves and dresses were worn by all the fashionable folk of the time. Even famous artists were great admirers of the colour. Just think of Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ painting.

What about now?

Think of Pikachu, Spongebob, the Minions and even the emojis on your phone. Yellow is a colour of cheerfulness and optimism. It is a symbol of happiness. Once a colour to help depict stories, yellow has become a main feature in our everyday lives.

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE

It is not uncommon for certain species of insects and small critters to have evolved to have yellow markings as a way of warning predators against messing with them. Some fly-like insects mimic the distinctive yellow and black colouring of bees to trick predators into thinking they’re armed with a sting! Fire salamanders mean business though, as their bright yellow markings warn potential predators of their intensely toxic skin and their ability to squirt a highly irritating substance into the eyes or mouths of would-be threats.

From cave walls to famous artworks, clothing to a famous song, this undeniably cool colour has had a long journey through history and is bound to keep the future bright too.

EXTINCT BIRD

Dodo 

The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a large flightless bird that inhabited the island of Mauritius, on the Indian Ocean, till the early 17th century. It weighed around 23kg and was bigger than a turkey. Its large, hooked bill, short, thick legs and small, useless wings – totally out of proportion to its bulky body – gave it a peculiar appearance. It laid a single, large egg in a nest made of grass on the ground.

The earliest known account of the Dodo is found in a journal entry of an expedition made to the island in 1598. The first written account which actually used the name Dodo is found in the 1628 letter of Emanuel Altham: “Very strange fowles called by ye portingals Do Do.” While some say that the name originates from Portuguese duodo, meaning ‘silly or stupid’, others attribute the name to the sound of the bird’s call.

Sadly, the increase in exploration and trade in the 16th and 17th centuries, brought about the extinction of the dodo.

Seamen and colonists found the clumsy-looking creatures both easy to catch and tasty to eat.

The settlers introduced pigs to the islands, which destroyed the dodo’s nests and young as they foraged. Thus, by the close of the 17th century, the luckless bird was extinct.

Today, the dodo survives only in expressions like ‘dead as a dodo’, signifying foolishness or silliness. 

STORY TIME

The suitcase

A man realised that he was about to die, as he saw God coming closer with a suitcase in His hand. God said, “All right son, it’s time to go.”

Surprised, the man responded, “Now? So soon? I had a lot of plans...”

“I’m sorry, but it’s time to go.”

“What do you have in that suitcase?” the man asked.

“Your belongings.”

“My belongings? You mean my things, my clothes, my money?” the man wondered.

“Those things were not yours; they belonged to the earth,” God replied.

“Is it my memories?” the man asked.

“Those never belonged to you, they belonged to time.”

“Is it my talents?”

“Those were never yours, they belonged to the circumstances.”

“Is it my friends and family?”

“I’m sorry they were never yours, they belonged to the path,” God said, as He shook His head.

“Is it my body?” the man asked.

“That was never yours, it belonged to the dust.”

“Is it my soul?"

Again God shook His head, “No that is mine.”

Full of fear, the man took the suitcase from God and opened it, just to find that the suitcase was empty. With tears coming down his cheeks, the man said, “I never had anything?”

God answered, “That is correct; every moment you lived was only yours. Life is just a moment, a moment that belongs to you. You were born with empty hands and will die empty-handed."

☆☆☆

For this reason, enjoy this time while you have it. Don’t let anything that you think you own, stop you from doing so. Live now. Live your life with kindness and love. Don’t forget to be happy; after all, this is the only thing that matters.”

EXPLORING THE UNIQUE RAKSHA BANDHAN TRADITIONS ACROSS INDIA’S DIFFERENT PARTS

 Threads of tradition

Raksha Bandhan isn’t just about rakhis and sweets; it’s a colourful blend of traditions that change as you move from one state to another in India. From sisters tying vibrant threads on their brothers’ wrists in the North to coastal communities offering coconuts to the sea, every region brings its own unique cultural significance to this sibling celebration. Raksha Bandhan is a festival that beautifully blends love and culture, displaying the rich diversity of India’s traditions. 

Maharashtra: In Maharashtra and other coastal regions, Raksha Bandhan is celebrated as Naarali Poornima, a festival that centres around the worship of the sea. On this day, the local fishing communities offer coconuts to the sea as a symbol of reverence and to seek blessings from it. People prepare special dishes using coconut as a main ingredient. After the sea worship rituals are completed, the festivities continue with community gatherings, marking the transition from religious observance to joyful celebration.

Rajasthan: While most North Indians celebrate Raksha Bandhan by tying a rakhi on their brothers’ wrists and praying for their long lives, brothers, in return, vow to protect their sisters from all hardships. However, in the Marwari and Rajasthani communities, the tradition goes a step further. Here, sisters also tie a rakhi, known as a Lumba rakhi, on the bangle of their brother’s wife. The reason behind this unique custom lies in the belief that the wife, considered the ‘ardhangini’ or better half, is an integral part of the brother’s life. The ritual acknowledges that the responsibility of protecting and loving a sister is not just the brother’s duty alone but is shared equally by his wife. This makes the Raksha Bandhan celebration more unique, embracing the sister-in-law as an important part of the tradition.

Madhya Pradesh and Bihar: On this day, mothers and their sons do a special pooja, while farmers worship their land. The celebrations start a week before the main celebration. The wives of farmers go to their fields and collect soil by wrapping it in leaves. The soil is then sown with barley and kept in a thoroughly cleaned and decorated area of the house. This is called the ‘put’. When the seven days are up, mothers take the ‘put’ and pray for their sons’ longevity before immersing them in a well or river.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala: The celebration of Rasha Bandhan is called Avani Avittam in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The festivities are mostly for the family’s male members. On this day, Brahmins immerse themselves in the river and seek forgiveness for all of their past sins. The janau, or holy thread, worn across the body, is replaced with a new thread at the end of the custom. They also make promises to do good deeds during this "thread changing" ceremony. 

Odisha: On Gamha Purnima, cows and bullocks are worshipped in many regions of Odisha. The festival is marked by a unique local sport known as Gamha Diyan, which is one of the highlights of the festival. Gamha Purnima is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Lord Baladeva, the elder brother of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Over time, this traditional festival has also embraced the observance of Raksha Bandhan, inspired by the Rakhi festival celebrated on the same day across North India. This blend of rituals symbolises the strong cultural ties and evolving traditions that continue to define Odisha’s vibrant heritage.

West Bengal: This day marks the end of the five-day ritual of Lord Krishna and Radha swinging on a jhula, celebrated as Jhulan Poornima. The festivities kick off on Pavitra Ekadashi and end on Raksha Bandhan, which falls on the full moon day. During this time, idols of Lord Krishna and Radha are placed on a swing and made to swing, symbolising their divine love. The swing, adorned with vibrant flowers and intricate designs, becomes the highlight of celebrations, especially at the ISKCON temple in Mayapur, where the festival is marked with music and devotion. The whole atmosphere is filled with joy, devotion, and the colourful energy that surrounds the sacred bond of these divine beings.