Slate’s Hang Up and Listen bonus segment: More on setting the Rubik’s Cube world record.

How Many Seconds Does It Take to Set a World Record?

How Many Seconds Does It Take to Set a World Record?

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Dec. 1 2015 3:21 PM
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The “Violating His Amateur Status” Bonus Segment

The Hang Up and Listen hosts cover speedcubing—from the algorithms of Rubik’s Cubes to the sport’s record-breaking competitors.

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Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Lars Karlsson/Wikimedia Commons.

On this week’s Hang Up and Listen Slate Plus bonus segment, hosts Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca discuss Lucas Etter, the 14-year-old who broke the world record for solving a Rubik’s Cube. In fewer than five seconds, Etter achieved international fame in speedcubing, but should we attribute his incredible dexterity to his age? What other records have been set in this interesting sport? How many seconds does it take to solve a Rubik’s Cube one-handed, or with your feet?