Message #4178

From: Melinda Green <melinda@superliminal.com>
Subject: Re: [MC4D] #64 5d solve introduction, guide & next adventure :) Happy new year!!
Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2019 18:09:14 -0800

A video guide to solving the 5D cube would definitely not be looked down upon. Probably most everyone who considers tackling it would love such a resource.

That’s quite a story, and I’m really glad you posted it. It’s incredible that an interest in higher dimensional geometry led to attempting to cure the world of one of the worst scourges. Please keep it up; all of it!

-Melinda

On 1/2/2019 5:25 AM, Theodor Pramer teodicen@gmail.com [4D_Cubing] wrote:
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> Dear fellow Cubers,
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> Happy new year!! Let us make it the best yet!
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> In November I became the 64th to solve the 5D cube. As one is expected to write a short introduction when solving the 4D I thought I’d write a few words now as well.
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> *The journey.*
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> The 4D cube took me just under 24 hours when I made the decision and commitment to do it. The 5D cube took over a year, 125 000 moves and I was stuck at one point for over 6 months with zero progress and only failures. The final piece took two weeks to solve and twist. As I completed it my desk and bin were both filled with A4’s with notes of failed attempts. In hindsight I should have taken a picture of the monitors buried in paper! I’ve read of others who had it seemingly straight-forward. But I had to work for it. Besides kendo and iaido this is the first time in my life I’ve had to truly push my limits and had real difficulties with. As much as I liked and enjoyed it, it was beyond frustrating at times…
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> *How would a guide be perceived?*
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> Part of the challenge and appeal along with value of achievement was that, there are no instruction manuals. None. There is no guide. I independently discovered higher dimensional geometry at age 11 and studied it academically at Oxford briefly during my undergrad and as such I believe I had good pre-conditions. Despite this, what I lacked when I started was a basic semantic and visual explanation and introduction. Would such a video be looked down upon and should I abandon such thoughts or would it be welcomed and wanted?
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> *So what is next?*
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> A different kind of puzzle. One unsolved for a very long time and in my eyes one of the greatest puzzles of our time.
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> At roughly the same time I started the 5D my life changed drastically overnight and I started on another puzzle born from serendipity. A new type of drug and possible cure for HIV-1, a disease killing on average 2793 persons daily with 36.7 million infected and an unfathomable $21 Billion spent on drugs yearly. As I made my discovery I called my thesis advisor who previously developed one of the most ground-breaking drugs for HIV-1. If it was what I believed I had to abandon my startup, all my investments and commitments for it. As I finished my presentation the response was "I wish I had come up with it..". A few minutes later the company was born. Just before xmas we sent in our first 8 patents. We’ve gone through several of the national incubators and are in the midst of raising €3 million in January with 2/3 complete and the first two parties onboard. During 2019 for the next phase we’ll raise €50 million for the coming clinical journey. If you have connections in the
> venture capital world, those with financial means or to the funds focusing on HIV, feel free to send me a private email.
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> I imagine I will push the cubing limit upward later but right now, I just feel relieved to have completed the 5D and having completed the 16 hour days crunching months for all the patents ;)
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> And last but not least, a thank you to the community. I have not posted actively but participated silently reading. Melinda’s physical 2^4 seems like a real treat! I love the photos! Thank you all involved in the tools for the different puzzles! This group of like-minded as crazy as I have motivated and encouraged me both in puzzles, academically and scientifically.
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> Can’t recall having ever been so enthusiastic or filled with hope and dreams for a new year ever before. Happy new year!!
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> Best regards,
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> Theo
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