Giant Rubik’s Cube needs brawn as well as brains to solve

Here’s a Rubik’s Cube that’s as testing for the body as it is for the mind.

Its creator, puzzle enthusiast Tony Fisher, built the beast in a bid to claim a Guinness World Record for the largest fully functional Rubik’s Cube, and the Brit is hoping it’ll gain official recognition soon.

The giant cube, which took about two weeks to make, has an edge of 1.56 meters and weighs around 220 pounds (100 kg) – the stickers alone weigh a total of 29 pounds (13 kg).

“It’s fully functional but not quite as easy to use as a regular Rubik’s Cube,” Fisher quips in a video showing off his creation.

Regarding the world record – Fisher lists other giant Rubik’s Cubes around the world that he knows of, but discounts them as record breakers for various reasons.

For example, the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey has a cube that “may be a bit bigger” than Fisher’s, but he says it requires a remote controller to move its faces, and hasn’t been finished in the standard way with stickers.

“The Guinness World Records is the only book I’ve ever enjoyed reading,” Fisher says in his video, adding, “Having an interest in the Rubik’s Cube since 1980, it seemed very natural that I should attempt to make the world’s largest.”

The famous toy was invented in 1974 by Hungarian architect Erno Rubik, though it wasn’t until 1980, when Ideal Toy Company licensed the puzzle, that it really took off. It’s thought to have sold more than 350 million units globally, making it the most successful toy ever.

As for Fisher’s oversized effort, the fact that it actually works like the real thing is quite an achievement, though now we’d like to see an equally massive robot solve it in under a second.