Nerd dreams die hard-Rubik's Cube solved in 11.13 seconds

[underpants]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3589623.html

Man Solves Rubik's Cube in 11.13 Seconds

SAN FRANCISCO — A 20-year-old California Institute of Technology student set a new world record for solving the popular Rubik's Cube puzzle, turning the tiled brain-twister from scrambled to solved in 11.13 seconds.


Leyan Lo is part of Caltech's Rubik's Cube Club, a student group that hosted the competition at the Exploratorium museum in San Francisco. Lo's record-setting time came early Saturday, among his first five tries in the preliminary rounds.

The record-setting solve caught competitors and Lo himself by surprise.

"It's kind of scary now that I set it, because I have two more (attempts) to go," Lo said humbly afterward. His time of 11.13 seconds broke the previous record of 11.75 seconds, set by Frenchman Jean Pons at the Dutch Open competition last year.

Still, the world record alone didn't gain Lo the overall champion's title at the event, which was determined by averaging three of five solution times in the final round. For that title, Lo went up against the teenager widely considered the fastest Rubik's Cube solver on the planet _ Shotaro "Macky" Makisumi, a 15-year-old from Pasadena.

[tjwmason]

1. Surely this is a somewhat meaningless "record"

Given that there are degrees of being mixed up.

[pokerfan]

11. Precisely

IIRC, the cube can always be solved in fewer than thirty moves. So what defines "shuffled?" What if he was given a shuffled cube that was only five or ten moves away from being solved?

[swag]

2. Color me fucked in the head, but I'm more impressed by

Emily's 7.43 second cup stacking record:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8602472107022912201

[CanuckAmok]

4. that's it. Next time I'm buying the DELUXE Crayola assortment.

I don't have a "fucked in the head". Too bad, I'd use it all the time.

[underpants]

6. The cup thing is remarkable

Obsessive compulsive behavior timed...I don't mean that as a negative-it also illustrates an incredible amount of discipline and planning/routine.

[henslee]

8. I dont understand what she was supposed to be doing?

[swag]

9. It's some strange cult that has invaded public school systems

http://www.speedstacks.com/

[mzteris]

15. This is a joke, right?

I mean - the whole sight and everything?

How the h@ll could this remotely be considered PE?????????

[LoZoccolo]

17. I imagine the focus is on hand-eye coordination.

Sure it's good to have exercise and all that, but I would think this is an interesting thing to put in there. It's probably good for teaching practice and discipline too.

[xmas74]

19. Kid does it in kindergarten.

It helps hand-eye coordination and motor skills plus it's something that almost every kid can do.

[mzteris]

21. so this is for real?

I was sure it was a joke.

They "teach" this in school? And have contests and everything?

I mean, I understand about the "hand/eye" and the "everyone can do it" - but stacking cups competitively??

[xmas74]

23. I didn't know that there were huge competitions for it

but I have heard about competitions in school for it.
Of course, she only does this at school. She plays the kind of sports that most people have heard of outside of school.

[DS1]

14. But THINK of all the BigMac's she'll be able to bag with that speed

besides, those kids are all fucking cheates, they poke holes in the cups in order to make them slide together quicker

[swag]

20. Man, that's fucked up.

I didn't know about the cheating.

That sport must be banned!

[jeff30997]

3. 11.13 seconds ?

Sounds like my record in bed.:)

[underpants]

5. SOLVED!!!

Ba dum pssshhhhh

[DainBramaged]

7. Too much time on my hands

Sitting on this barstool talking like a damn fool
Got the twelve o’clock news blues
And I’ve given up hope on the afternoon soaps
And a bottle of cold brew
Is it any wonder I’m not crazy? is it any wonder I’m sane at all
Well I’m so tired of losing- I got nothing to do and all day to do it
I go out cruisin’ but I’ve no place to go and all night to get there
Is it any wonder I’m not a criminal?
Is it any wonder I’m not in jail?
Is it any wonder I’ve got

Too much time on my hands, it’s ticking away with my sanity
I’ve got too much time on my hands, it’s hard to believe such a calamity
I’ve got too much time on my hands and it’s ticking away from me
Too much time on my hands, too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands

Well, I’m a jet fuel genius - I can solve the world’s problems
Without even trying
I have dozens of friends and the fun never ends
That is, as long as I’m buying
Is it any wonder I’m not the president
(he’s not the president)
Is it any wonder I’m null and void?
Is it any wonder I’ve got

Too much time on my hands, it’s ticking away at my sanity
I’ve got too much time on my hands, it’s hard to believe such a calamity
I’ve got too much time on my hands and it’s ticking away from me
Too much time on my hands, too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands

I love Styx, wish they were on tour. I also wish I was 25 again, had all of my teeth, and made better real estate investments.

[sakabatou]

10. These people have WAAAYY to much time on their hands

[anarch]

12. hey, I just finished solving my Rubik's Cube, too!

I've been working on it since 1981.

[underpants]

16. Y'er a WINNER!

Way to go

[Radical Activist]

13. When asked what he wants to do next, the student replied

that he hopes to one day kiss a girl.

[Deja Q]

18. I can do it in 10.2 seconds...

Just get me a screwdriver, if not a fresh set of 54 square stickers, 9 of each color: blue, red, green, yellow, white, and orange. :P (Oh, one piece has to have the (TM) symbol on it too, of course...)

[EstimatedProphet]

22. Remember when world records had meaning?

Like the World's Heaviest Man, or World's Longest Fingernails, things like that?