How quickly can YOU solve the Rubik's Cube? Google launches interactive doodle to celebrate the puzzle's 40th birthday
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Google has launched one of its most addictive doodle's yet as it celebrates the 40th birthday of the Rubik's Cube.
An animated version of the popular puzzle has been created by Google engineers allowing anyone to solve the frustratingly-difficult game by clicking below, or visiting Google's homepage.
There are 43 quintillion versions of how the cube's 54 coloured squares can be arranged over the six faces - but every Rubik's Cube is logically solvable in 20 moves or less.
Scroll down for video or click below to play
RUBIK'S CUBE RECORD-BREAKERS
Single time: Mats Valk of the Netherlands in March 2013 with a time of 5.55 seconds at the Zonhoven Open in Belgium.
Average time: Feliks Zemdegs at the Melbourne Cube Day 2013 with a 6.54 seconds average solve time.
One-handed solving: A time of 9.03 seconds was made by Feliks Zemdegs at the Lifestyle Seasons Summer 2014
Feet solving: Fakhri Raihaan solved a Rubik's Cube with his feet in 27.93 seconds at the Celebes 2012.
Robot: Cubestormer 3 solved a Rubik's Cube in 3.253 seconds - beating the Cubestormer 2's record of 5.27 seconds.
The Rubik's Cube was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik, but was not released until 1980 when it became a phenomenon.
In Google's version, the cube is at first shown performing a simple loop.
Clicking on the animation causes the cube to become enlarged fully coloured.
The user then rotates the rows and columns horizontally and vertically, and manipulates the cube by clicking and dragging it in different directions.
Numbers on the bottom left corner reveal how many moves have been taken.
And the old trick of carefully steaming off all of the stickers and then re-sticking them in the right position won't work here.
On the Google homepage, the user can rotate the rows and columns horizontally and vertically, and manipulate the cube by clicking and dragging it in different direction. Numbers on the bottom left corner reveal how many moves have been taken
The Guinness World Record for solving a Rubik's Cube in the fastest time was smashed in March a robot.
The Cubestormer 3 solved the cube in a speedy 3.253 seconds. The robot's record-breaking time beat the previous non-human record of 5.27 seconds - set by the machine's predecessor, the Cubestormer 2.
The fastest human time to solve a cube was set in March last year by Mats Valk of the Netherlands who completed the challenge in an impressive 5.55 seconds.
Amazingly, some talented fans can complete the cube with one hand - such as Feliks Zemdegs who holds the single-handed completion record of 9.03 seconds.
THE SEVEN STEPS THAT COULD MAKE SOLVING A RUBIK'S CUBE EASIER
The official website of the Rubik's cube recommends seven steps:
1. Get to know your cube. For example, you should know that white is opposite yellow, orange is opposite red and green is opposite blue. The centre piece colours are always opposite each other.
2. Solve the white cross. The Rubik's website recommends you aim to create a white cross on the top face of the cube first of all. This will make the next phase easier.
3. Solve the white corners. Corner pieces will have one white side plus two other colours.
4. Solve the middle layer, so the bottom two layers of your cube match in colour.
5. Solve the top layer. Try and get a yellow cross on the top face of your cube. Next, you should try and get all the yellow on the top face.
6. Position the yellow corners correctly. Twist the top face, which should be yellow, until at least two of the corners are in the right location.
7. Finally, correctly place the centre pieces.
Another top solver Fakhri Raihaan can complete the toy with his feet in just 27.93 seconds
Last month, USA Today spoke to Ernő Rubik, inventor of the Rubik's Cube, about its legacy.
'The Cube is full of contradictions,' Rubik said. 'Humans like contradictions, because that makes life interesting and enjoyable. The Cube is very simple and very complex at the same time.'
Rubik added that when it first came out, it was much tougher to solve without access to Google or other websites.
'Nowadays it's different,' he said. 'You can learn it; you can find lots of things on the internet. The combined power of the mind is much stronger than individual ones.'
The fastest human to ever complete a cube - which was invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor Erno Rubik, is Mats Valk of the Netherlands in March 2013 with a time of 5.55 seconds
Put the internet to work for you.
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