A supercomputer in the US has proven that the Rubik’s cube can be completed in under 26 moves. The boffins behind the project reckon that if they had more time they could reduce the number of moves. Not bad, considering that there are 43 billion billion possible Rubik’s cube positions, more than enough to keep any current supercomputer occupied for a very, very long time.
The story made me laugh a bit as it reminded me of what would have been one of my greatest moments. In my infants school in the 1980s the teachers held a competition at Christmas when the Rubik’s cube came out, with a fiver going to the first student to complete the Rubik’s cube. I don’t think they really expected any of the kids to be able to do it because they couldn’t, but as a very bright seven-year old I could ‘finish’ the Cube, thanks to a written guide my twelve year-old brother had put together – I kid you not!
There was unfortunately one stage that I used to struggle with, which was turning over the middle four pieces on the last layer and no matter how hard I tried during the 10 minute competition, I couldn’t get them to naturally fall into the position where I could finish the cube. I still won the fiver as the teachers were amazed that I’d got so close, but it would have been so much better if I’d finished it.
What’s your best time for completing a Rubik’s cube?
