The Internet lit up its little wow eyes this week at a grainy YouTube video of a bespectacled Stanford student named Ravi juggling and solving a Rubik's cube at the same time. He's even having a conversation with a couple of people of camera giggling. Ninety seconds later, the Rubik's cube is solved and Ravi is a hero. It's damn impressive.But it's not the only instance of YouTubed Rubik's cube glory. It's not even the only video of someone solving a Rubik's cube while juggling and certainly not the only one featuring someone solving a Rubik's cube in less than 90 seconds. Oh no. The meme runs deep with this one. While some Rubik's cube tricks are more gymnastic and some are more cerebral, they're all damn impressive. A couple are just sort of funny.It's hard to watch Ravi making those quick twists every couple of seconds and not wonder how solved the Rubik's cube was at the start. I'm not saying anything was rigged. It just seems like there aren't that many moves involved. Regardless, the feat is just slightly more impressive than random bro in a blue shirt who also solves a Rubik's cube while juggling but juggles with one hand while solving with the other. Still impressive. Somehow more bro-ish.But again, 90 seconds is hustling, at least it is compared to my putrid attempts at solving a Rubik's cube. Afternoons stretch into evenings, and before you know it, it's Memorial Day and that stocking stuffer still isn't solved. This is not the only way to do it. And 90 seconds is actually about 85 seconds slower than the world record time. It's almost like these cubeheads aren't breathe the pieces into place, like a wind chime lining up just right.That's Felix Zemdegs, Rubik's cube master champion. He's set all sorts of records and done all sorts of stunts. He's very good at solving all kinds of Rubik's cubes in all kinds of different settings. Like while skiing, for instance.Zemdegs — great name, by the way — also gets into the weird world of big Rubik's cubes. There are small 2x2 Rubik's cubes as well, but there's nothing quite like the quiet complexity of solving a 6x6 or a 7x7. It's also almost uncomfortably entrancing to watch.At a certain point, you can't help but become curious about the curious world of Rubik's cube champions. What are these tournaments like? Is there some sort of league, populated with people like Zemdegs? What are those little hand platforms they use? Are there snacks?I'm curious, but I also just want to know how to solve a Rubik's cube — been needing a new party trick lately. So here you go. The guy's a little bit annoying but at least he's thorough.
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