World Record for Solving Rubik's Cube

The world record for solving a Rubik's cube is now under 5 seconds. The record was set by a 14 year old.




I am still working on my personal best (...38.9 seconds)... Unfortunately, the "..." = 43 years, 8 months, 14 days, 8 hours, 27 minutes. hehe

Great video. The truth be told, I think the kid got very lucky. I think I've had it happen where I after I solved the top two layers the bottom was correctly completed. I think he had the first two layers come into place after solving the top layer.

In Rubik's Cube and unicycle news, I bought a Rubik's Cube a week ago and am working on memorizing the sequences needed for the bottom layer. Once I master that, I will do a video solving the Rubik's Cube on a unicycle. I can already easily do the top two layers on the thing, it is just a matter of committing to memory those bottom layer patterns. I knew them cold in high school. My average time was about 80 seconds and my record I think was 49.

Quote: Wizard

Great video. The truth be told, I think the kid got very lucky. I think I've had it happen where I after I solved the top two layers the bottom was correctly completed. I think he had the first two layers come into place after solving the top layer.

In Rubik's Cube and unicycle news, I bought a Rubik's Cube a week ago and am working on memorizing the sequences needed for the bottom layer. Once I master that, I will do a video solving the Rubik's Cube on a unicycle. I can already easily do the top two layers on the thing, it is just a matter of committing to memory those bottom layer patterns. I knew them cold in high school. My average time was about 80 seconds and my record I think was 49.

There was a fast time set early on in the day at that meet up, apparently. Almost certainly it's possible some patterns are quicker than others.

I'm much more impressed by the average solve records (best 3 out of five). And times that include the looking at the cube as well. The blindfolded record for example is 40 seconds, which includes the looking time and then solving blind.

That's not solving it.

It's putting it together.

I played with the damn things when they came out in the early 80s. I lost patience and interest in them early on (though I liked the snake; the dog liked barking at it when I shaped it like a ball). But I recall friends spending hours trying to figure it out. Solving one face was rather easy, even I managed it. past that it took a lot of effort. It's said Rubik himself didn't know if it could be solved.

Most people hit on two "solutions" 1) pop one cubelet to disassemble the surface pieces, then out it back together "solved." 2) Buy the book with the solution.

I do know one person who managed to solve it. With help, sure, but not by disassembly and not by reading step-by-step instructions (I can "solve" it with the instructions, too).

It's impressive taking the thing from a "random" state to order (arbitrarily speaking) in a short time. but it's not "solving" the cube in that short time.

For the record, I had more of the cubes, barrels, spheres and snakes than I care to contemplate. All but one were gifts. I liked pulling them apart and separating the pieces so they wouldn't hurt anyone ;)