Supercomputers have taken on the world’s most pressing and complex scientific quandaries — global warming, genetics, even the formation of the universe. Now a high-speed machine at Northeastern University has taken on a more colorful question: How quickly can one solve a Rubik’s Cube?
After reducing the 43 quintillion possible configurations to a more manageable 80 million, the supercomputer proved that any of the cubes — no matter how hopeless-looking — can be properly aligned within just 26 moves. So take heart, you who have spent hours twisting your own stubborn Rubik’s. —Brock Read
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.