Super cool geeks
Wednesday 6 August 2008
Ever been called a geek? Well forget what everyone says because now geeks are the new cool! n2k speaks to the Rubik’s cube record holder and checks out some other ‘geeky’ activities that are catching on.
What’s a geek?
A geek is a someone with an extreme interest in something – they don’t have to be really clever, but they have to have enough interest in a topic to go out and do something about it.
They’re also the people ‘in the know’, they find out underground news, gossip and events that other’s don’t find out about until it becomes commercial news. Doesn’t sound too bad!
Speedcubing
We spoke to Speedcubing record holder, 18 year old Erik Akkersdijk, who explained “Speedcubing is the sport or hobby where someone solves the rubiks cube as fast as they can.”
There are different events worldwide, including Spain and Holland, where Speedcubers contest against each other to see who can solve it faster. Events include using the least amount of moves possible and even being blindfolded!
Erik got involved in Speedcubing in 2005 and after a few goes he could solve the cube in five minutes. During his first competition, he gained a best time of 44 seconds!
Here's Eric breaking a record at the Dutch Open in 2007, with a time of 9.77 seconds.
Science
Geeks aren’t just good at Science but other subjects too – and not necessarily because they’re clever, but because they are determined. Erik agrees, “If you can solve the cube and have the desire to solve it faster each time you’re already a Speedcuber, no matter if you complete it at 5 minutes or 10 seconds!”
Science is one of the hardest and most interesting subjects to study, so if you get excited every time you’re around chemicals, hear the word NASA or you enjoy learning about new diseases, then good for you! You’re the one that’ll be saving lives one day.
TV shows such as House and CSI only prove how popular Science has become in recent years.
The popularity of phones, laptops and all sorts of technology have made Science a little cooler too. Erik agrees, “It makes Science more accessible...mobiles and m3 players are just so handy, they’re more like fashion than technology...they make Science cooler.”
Internet
It’s now cool to sit in front of the computer – but not all day though.
There are new websites and blogs everyday. Popular bloggers even make it in to your favourite magazines, get flown to glamorous events and make money out of them.
The internet makes it possible for ‘geeks’ with obscure interests to meet others around the world with the same interest. Erik met fellow Speedcubers through online videos and instant messaging, “I saw videos on YouTube of fellow Speedcuber, Joel van Noort, and thought it just looked crazy to twist the cube so fast, we chatted on MSN and he taught me a faster method.”
Email, instant messaging services, and the most fun of all – social networking sites, make it easy to keep in touch with friends. For those ‘non’-geeks, don’t pretend you’re not addicted to Facebook, MySpace or Bebo!
Reading
Reading is one of the best past times around and it’s really easy to get hooked on to a good book. Staying at home to read or going to the library is no longer considered ‘geeky’. Just check out how fast ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ sold. One book retailer reported selling 1.2 million copies on the first day of release!
Also, many Superhero films originated from comics, like Spiderman, Batman and even Wanted. Can you believe these record breaking films were once in the same category as a boring past time?
Celebrity geeks
Would you call N.E.R.D frontman, Pharrell Williams a geek? Back in high school Pharrell used to be part of the marching band which, at the time, was considered geeky. Of course, Pharrell is now one of the most respected musicians around; he’s always in demand and has sold millions of records worldwide.
Of people that consider Speedcubing as geeky, in a bad way, Erik says, “Probably those people don’t know about the community...you don’t need a high IQ to solve a cube...these assumptions say more about the people calling it geeky than about me.”
