Muscle memory, rote learning and luck are key to world-record times
IT WAS hailed as the world’s first “sub-4”. On November 24th 2018, Yusheng Du, a Chinese Rubik’s Cube enthusiast, solved a standard 3x3x3 cube in an astonishing 3.47 seconds. The feat, now an official Guinness World Record, smashed the previous record by 0.75 seconds. Today, at the World Cube Association’s World Championship in Melbourne, Australia, hundreds of eager “speedcubers” will try—and probably fail—to twist their way to a new record.
Speedcubing is a relatively new phenomenon. Erno Rubik, a Hungarian scientist, patented the original cube in 1974 . Made up of nine coloured squares on each of its six faces, the cube rotates around a central axis. By twisting the sides, the cube’s colours can be scrambled and unscrambled. When solved, each side of the cube is a solid colour.After a global craze in the 1980s, the puzzle’s popularity gradually faded; it was propelled back from oblivion by the internet.
The techniques to solving a Rubik’s Cube include the Corners-First method, The Petrus method and the CFOP method . Although the classic 3x3x3 cube has a mind-boggling number of possible configurations , solving it never requires more than 20 moves; most configurations require just 18. But for speedcubers, there are other factors to consider. The WCA allows players to lubricate and sand their cubes’ twisting mechanisms to improve their times.
For some, a puzzle that was initially designed to stimulate complex mathematical calculations has become a fiercely competitive test of muscle memory, rote learning and luck . For others, speedcubing is more light-hearted. Last year a 13-year-old Chinese boy went viral after setting world records for solving three Rubik’s Cubes simultaneously while juggling them or by using both hands and feet .
Mr Yusheng, for his part, may have room for improvement. In 2016 a German-built robot solved the puzzle in a blur lasting 0.637 seconds. In March 2018 a robot built by two MIT engineering students, Ben Katz and Jared Di Carlo, did better still. The machine, which was outfitted with PlayStation Eye cameras and could execute a move in 15 milliseconds, solved the puzzle in just 0.38 seconds.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Spotify just launched a smaller, faster version of its app for emerging marketsSpotify launched a simplified version of its platform on Tuesday, aimed at users in emerging markets who have older devices or operating systems.
Leer más »
Is There Any Reliable Way to Make Your Period Come Faster?Before you can start manipulating your period, it’s important to understand what actually happens in your body before, during, and after your red tide washes ashore.
Leer más »
Can Robots Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis?3D-printing has revolutionized manufacturing, but changing an industry that still clings to sticks and nails might be harder.
Leer más »
Viewsroom: Can India solve its water crisis?Chennai, India'’s Motor City, has run dry. Another 20 metropolises could follow by next year. The personal and economic toll is mounting. Can India solve its water crisis? ugalani and AntonyMCurrie discuss in this episode of the Viewsroom:
Leer más »
Volvo solves autonomous revenue riddle with package dealsSwedish truckmaker AB Volvo's first commercial autonomous truck deal shows ...
Leer más »
Rylan Clark-Neal reveals huge career news: ‘I am beside myself with excitement’Rylan Clark-Neal has revealed a huge new job opportunity and fans are giddy with excitement
Leer más »