Rubik鈥檚 Cube, the ubiquitous 3D combination puzzle, is a tough nut to crack. And by "cracked," we mean "tactfully twist into its six-sided solid-colour state." And of those who can figure it out, some can do it very quickly.
The current world record for solving the standard 3x3x3 cube was set in March 2013 by Mats Valk of the Netherlands. His winning time? A jaw-dropping 5.55 seconds. The record for doing it blindfolded is 23.80 seconds.
Think it鈥檚 a niche pastime that鈥檚 past its glory days? Think again. In January 2009 Time Magazine reported that over 350 million cubes had been sold worldwide. That makes the Rubik鈥檚 Cube the worlds top-selling puzzle game and the world鈥檚 best-selling toy.
If you鈥檝e ever been envious of those who have mastered the cube, you can try joining their ranks on campus with the (DALCUBE). Who knows? You may be faster than you think.
Society President Vishwa Patel, an international student from India in his first year of a master of engineering degree in internetworking, explains that aside from simply spreading awareness about the Rubik鈥檚 Cube to students, DALCUBE 鈥渆ncourages people to learn how to solve Rubik鈥檚 Cube, provide support for cubers in competitions and championships, and help each other solve the cube faster.鈥�
Whenever it can, DALCUBE sends its members to attend competitions. On November 23 a group is headed to Saint John, N.B. for the Atlantic Open 2013. If you can find a way to Kennebecasis Valley High School in Quispamsis, you鈥檙e welcome to watch Dal鈥檚 finest take on the following events: 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 5x5, 3x3 One-Handed, 3x3 Blindfolded, Megaminx (a dodecahedron-shaped puzzle), and Pyraminx (a tetrahedral-shaped puzzle).
Four to five tournaments and competitions are organized annually in Canada. The society works all year for these tournaments, which are sanctioned by the , the official body that regulates all things related to Rubik鈥檚 Cube, 鈥渓ike official results, rules, etc.鈥�
Vishwa currently has the fastest time in the society, at 1:02.35 for a classic 3x3 Rubik鈥檚 Cube. No other members in the group have WCA-certified timings, but they鈥檙e working on it. Vishwa says that with practice, competing is easy 鈥� it becomes habit. The team anticipates anything, practicing speed-solving, solving cubes while blindfolded, using the fewest moves, and even solving cubes with their feet.
鈥淪tudents who want to learn how to solve Rubik鈥檚 Cube or already know how to do should join this society,鈥� says Vishwa. 鈥淲e鈥檒l organize the workshops.鈥�