Recently, there's been a buzz about this result:

Northeastern University Researchers Solve Rubik’s Cube in 26 Moves (May 2007)



<a href="http://www.ccs.neu.edu/home/gene/papers/rubik.pdf">
Twenty-Six Moves Suffice for Rubik’s Cube (Daniel Kunkle and Gene Cooperman)</a>

<blockquote>The number of moves required to solve any state of Rubik’s...