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Mechanical puzzles have been around for more than you think. People have been inventing 3D mechanical puzzles ever since the 3rd century BC. The earliest forms were a bunch of interlocking wooden shapes, and the goal was to create a standard shape like a cube or a pyramid. 

Nowadays, there are all sorts of 3D puzzles. From complex LEGO sets to 3D mechanical metal puzzles, you can find something to suit your taste. These products are all about building problem-solving skills and improving your dexterity, and they also build one important trait in us humans, and that is patience.

In today’s article, we will talk about the three most popular mechanical puzzles ever invented. You are probably familiar with all three of them, but we will strive to give you interesting facts about each of them. Stick around until the end for a bonus tip.

The Rubik’s Cube

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When this product was first released to the general public a few decades ago, it was called The Magic Cube. The reason for this is quite simple. This puzzle was so difficult to solve that people thought you needed magic to finish the job. Of course, you don’t need magic. You just need time and persistence.

The goal of the puzzle is simple. You have six sides of the cube, all divided into nine small squares. To solve the puzzle, each side of the cube has to have nine squares of the same color. You can rotate every side in six different ways, by row or by column. If you find the right pattern, you will solve one side and work your way from there.

Some people spend their whole lifetime never being able to solve this puzzle. On the other hand, this puzzle is so popular that there are Rubik’s cube experts who compete for the title of Rubuk’s World Champion. These people are able to solve the puzzle in mere seconds. They know the rotation pattern, and they can do it with their eyes closed.

If you have never tried solving a Rubik’s cube, now is the time to start.

The Tower of Hanoi

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When you first see this puzzle, it may seem like a child’s toy, but trust us, it is far from it. The Tower of Hanoi was invented about two hundred years ago. However, according to legend, this puzzle is a lot older. Some historians claim that similar puzzles were used in ancient Hindu temples to improve the mental strength of new recruits. 

Here’s how the legend goes. A young priest walks into a Hindu temple and sees a system that resembles the image above—there are three posts of identical length. On one of the posts, the priest sees 64 golden disks. The disks are stacked one on top of the other, with the smallest one at the top and the largest one at the bottom.

The goal is to create the same structure of disks on another pole, but there is a catch. You can only move one disk at a time, and you cannot put a smaller disk on top of a larger one. Sounds simple, right? Well, if you do the math right, you will realize that in order to achieve this task, you will need a little more than 580 billion years. That’s a long time, longer than the universe by a long shot. 

A smart priest will realize the futility of this task and stop. Luckily, the modern version doesn’t come with 64 disks. This number is way smaller, and it is an excellent puzzle to train your brain a bit.

Hoffman's packing puzzle

Image source: Wikipedia

If you are one of those people who gets nervous every time before a trip because they cannot pack everything properly, then this puzzle is ideal for you. This is a new-ish puzzle, invented only about forty or fifty years ago by a man named Dean Hoffman.

The goal of the puzzle sounds very simple, but it is more difficult than you might think. There are 27 rectangular objects, all identical, and the goal is to fit them in a large cuber cube. As you might surmise, there are many possible solutions, and you will need a lot of trial and error if you want to brute force your way towards solving the puzzle.

The actual way to solve the puzzle is to get a pen and paper and do some geometry exercises. Measure the individual rectangular shapes, then measure the entire cube box, and find a solution on paper. Then, simply apply the solution to the puzzle.

To help you out, we will tell you that there are 21 separate solutions. Can you find at least one of them?

Are you looking for a more modern puzzle?

If you are a puzzle master, you have probably already solved the three legendary puzzles we talked about in this text. Your next challenge can be a 3D mechanical puzzle made of metal. Here at Mostarle, we offer a selection of puzzles that require time and patience to assemble. Some of our products have several hundred pieces, and you will need some tools to complete the assembly. 

You can browse through our products section and find an animal-themed or insect-themed puzzle that will look excellent on your desk or bookshelf when it’s ready.

Conclusion

Most people nowadays have an everyday routine. Sticking to it religiously is hard to avoid because if you get out of the routine for only a short while, you might not be able to take care of all your important tasks tomorrow. That’s why it is important to cherish our free time (when we have it) and spend it on constructive tasks that will expand our minds and give us new ideas.

3D mechanical puzzles are an excellent way to unwind and give your brain some well-deserved exercise.