Speed nerds unite!

[wamego relays champ]

I don't think that was legit auto-timing

Although I’m pretty sure your comment was tongue-in-cheek, I have to admit that was my first thought too, since it looks like the kid sitting across from him starts the clock manually. But he must be timing something else (maybe the inspection time).

The timing device used (called a StackMat Pro) is started and stopped when the competitor’s hands leave and return to the touchpad, so I think we can consider this performance as FAT.
https://www.speedstacks.com/store/re...-stackmat-pro/

Researching the timing device led me to a sport I never knew existed--Sport Stacking-- which has its own international governing body, tournaments and equipment.
http://www.thewssa.com/rules/equipment/

And of course, records!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgJR1mrUzv4

[cubehead]

bump: does anyone know the answer to this?

I see no one answered this. Without trying to sound pedantic the answer is fairly obvious. If there was a set starting position the only way to get there would be a set series of moves that would be public. Therefore the fastest solution would just be the reverse of all those moves. Thus the answer is no.

By the way to say these guys 'solve' the cube is misleading. To really solve the Rubic cube is to come up without a repeatable solution on your own. These guys are really doing nothing original.

[Atticus]

These guys are really doing nothing original.

But they're showing great resolve. In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. I'm guessing that ALL of us could get pretty danged good if we spent the time they do at 'cubing'. Everyone has their obsessions . . .;-)

[booond]

But they're showing great resolve. In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. I'm guessing that ALL of us could get pretty danged good if we spent the time they do at 'cubing'. Everyone has their obsessions . . .;-)

The separator is hand speed. Granny could probably do it but not move the cube as fast as grandson. Speed is for the young.

[26mi235]

But they're showing great resolve. In the book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field.

Yes, that is especially true for high jumping, where it took 10,000 hours for that guy to win a couple global championships -- oops, it was not even close to 10,000 hours between when he first high jumped and when he won global titles. [Of course,"hops" might be the most natural ability out there, but the theory is a bit thin on why people decline as they get still more practice, which is especially a problem for those that have not hit that "magic" 10,000 hour level]

[Atticus]

Yes, that is especially true for high jumping, where it took 10,000 hours for that guy to win a couple global championships -- opps, it was not even close to 10,000 hours between when he first high jumped and when he won global titles. [Of course,"hops" might be the most natural ability out there, but the theory is a bit thin on why people decline as they get still more practice, which is especially a problem for those that have not hit that "magic" 10,000 hour level]

He had not 'mastered' high jumping; he was just that much more talented than the others.
And 'mastery' is not synonymous with 'the best'. Just cuz you've mastered something does not mean you are better than others, just that you are fully competent at it and gotten as good as you're gonna get.
After 25 years, I've mastered this thing called 'teaching' but am currently ranked #23,704th on the yearly list!

[Pego]

After 25 years, I've mastered this thing called 'teaching' but am currently ranked #23,704th on the yearly list!

This woke me up. How do you rank teachers on such massive scale?

[lonewolf]

Yes, but #23,704 out of how many? 23,704 or 23,704,000?

[Atticus]

This woke me up. How do you rank teachers on such massive scale?

Ha! I was being facetious - there are no national rankings.

Yes, but #23,704 out of how many? 23,704 or 23,704,000?

Ya made me look it up. There are over THREE MILLION teachers in the USA, so if I were 23,704th, I'd be in the 99th%-tile. So that's my story and I'm sticking with it!! :-)

[lonewolf]

There. Doesn't that make you feel better?