OK Mr Rubik I’ll raise you a quintillion!

How many of you have mastered the Rubik’s Cube? I managed it once in the 80s after countless attempts and I’ve never been particularly interested in going back to it. But clearly it has been a very popular toy (am I allowed to call it a toy?). Since it’s launch in the 80s more than 350 million of them have been bought. I wonder how many have been hurled at the wall or out of the window in frustration. Have you ever wondered how many permutations there are for this unassuming little plastic cube? Well I can tell you that there are more than 43 quintillion of them! Blimey it’s no wonder I am rubbish at it!

just how big is 43 quintillion? well in the USA it is 43,000,000,000,000,000,000 and in the UK, because everything is bigger on this little island isn’t it, it is 43,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Now that makes me wonder whether the Rubik’s Cube permutations calculation is based on the puny USA version of a quintillion or the mighty and bigger British version. what do you think dear readers?

Did we get catty over a dog fight?

Propaganda clearly exists and is produced by all sides in a conflict. One of the most famous aerial battles of the second world war and possibly a turning point in the UK’s fortunes was the Battle Of Britain. Anyone educated in a British School system understands the derring-do of those pilots and how we Brits slayed the Nazi Luftwaffe. I am not disputing any of that and I am proud of this little countries achievements in the Battle of Britain. However on what is now known as Battle of Britain Day, 15th September 1940, the RAF claimed the scalps of 185 German planes. But Luftwaffe records show that only 80 aircraft failed to return. Someone was telling propaganda porkies weren’t they?