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Rubik's Cube Now Solvable in 20 Moves

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the good-use-of-spare-time dept.

A few years ago we reported that it had been proven that Rubik's Cubes could be solved in 23 moves. Well now that number is down to just 20. Proving it required 35 years of computer time donated by Google to get it done.

8 of 309 comments (clear)

  1. Enough! by 2names · · Score: 5, Funny

    Enough with the Rubik's cube junk, someone please tell us how to unhook a bra with *1* move.

    --
    "I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
    1. Re:Enough! by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Easy.

      Step 1:
      Unhook the bra

      It's all relative - what do you consider 1 move? I came across this argument during my first DnD session, and subsequently, haven't played it since.

    2. Re:Enough! by Jurily · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Tell her to take it off.

    3. Re:Enough! by guyminuslife · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm imagining this game session.

      You: "Alright, I'll unhook the wood nymph's bra."
      DM: "Okay, how do you do that?"
      [rest of gaming group listens intently]
      You: "Umm...I just, you know, unhook it?"
      DM: "Okay, we'll say it takes three rounds."
      You: "It doesn't take three rounds to unhook a bra!"
      DM: "Well, it takes your character three rounds."
      You: "That's bullshit. Have you ever done it?"
      DM: "SILENCE! YOU ARE BANISHED FROM DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS FOREVER!"

      --
      I don't believe in time. It's a grand conspiracy designed to sell watches.
  2. There is a good reason by calderra · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I know it won't stem the tide, but this is good research. I'm sure there are a million other algorithms in the world that can benefit from this. Shortcuts they had to invent to make sure they were using minimal processing time, full understanding of how much money and time it really took to get this process done to make other projects more practical, etc etc. This sort of thinking, even if silly on its own, has a broad range of applications.

  3. Re:Thank God! by jridley · · Score: 5, Informative

    Don't have to, World Community Grid has already been doing cancer cure grid computing for years.
    This one is complete:
    http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/research/hdc/overview.do

    These two are still running:
    http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/research/hcc1/overview.do

    http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/research/hfcc/overview.do

  4. Re:Thank God! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thank God!

    And cancer? Still unsolved. I'll bet computer time could be used for that too.

    It can be shown that a cure for cancer can easily be derived from a method of solving any Rubik's cube in 19 moves.

  5. Re:Thank God! by Pantero+Blanco · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Thank God! And cancer? Still unsolved. I'll bet computer time could be used for that too. (sorry, bullsh*t like this hits very close to home for me recently. Nothing like having people dying, and then hearing how we are using resources for utter crap)

    I don't think the limiting factor in cancer research is lack of computer time. If it were something so simple, getting the resources wouldn't be a problem.

    Your raging is pointless.