Acsin.240
net.games
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!csin!cjh@CCA-UNIX
Thu Jan 14 10:46:45 1982
larger Rubiks Cube
  I suspect there would be some difficulty with this (though it could
be very interesting; remember that the original 3x3x3 cube was assigned
as an exercise in engineering). I suspect 4x4x4 might be harder than
5x5x5 because there would be \no/ fixed pieces (in the 3x3x3 cube the
center cubies are mounted on a common centerpiece; each can spin freely
but not change its orientation with respect to the other center faces.
This is why you can exchange 4 centers with their opposites but not
all 6.) I also suspect that a 5x5x5 would be fragile and temperamental---
but it would make a cute problem.
   (Note: the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN cover article stated that a number
of smaller cubes and even some small non-cubes (2x3x3 or 2x2x3?) had
been made.)