Meet the 15-yr-old who just set a world record solving Rubik's Cube

One week ago, Doylestown, Pennsylvania high school student Collin Burns sat down to test his puzzle solving skills with a 3-inch by 3-inch jumbled Rubik's Cube.

Less than six seconds later, Burns' time — 5.253 seconds — had smashed the previous world record.

Image source: YouTube

As with any officially sanctioned Rubik's Cube competition, participants are only given a short window of time — up to 15 seconds — to scan the jumbled cube before starting.

In the photo below, you can see Burns with both hands on a pad, looking at the cube and planning his moves. When he lifts his hands, the timer will start and only stop when he returns both hands back to the pad in front of him.

Image source: YouTube

The person sitting to Burns' left is a judge. In organized and sanctioned competitions like this one, the judges monitor the time and actions of the players. They can even call fouls if rules are violated. Breaking the rules can be costly in terms of time, adding seconds for each infraction.

When Burns dropped the completed cube and touched the timing pad, the judge glanced over to the clock and noticed the record-setting time. The cameraman also knew it was a record and started shouting.

Image source: YouTube

The 15-year-old Burns called into TheBlaze Radio's "Pure Opelka" to discuss his world record, his technique and future plans. Talking about his  "training" regimen, Burns explained he used to work on his speed skills by solving puzzles for one to two hours each day.

When asked if he had a particular skill in puzzle solving, the teen calmly said, "Anyone can do this. A lot of people get the impression it's a difficult puzzle, impossible to solve."

He added, "I learned on YouTube."

What's on the horizon for this world record holder? Apparently nothing too trivial, Burns says he's planning on researching possibilities in "physics and astrophysics."

Listen to the entire interview with Collin Burns. (The segment starts at the 32 minute mark.)

Watch the video showing Collin Burns set the record. (It is also shown in slow motion so you can study his technique.)

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