Google games

When entering search terms into Google, it’s fun to see the autofill options google offers up, based on what others have frequently searched for. Something to be learned about people there.

When I entered:
How to survive …

Google suggested:
… a zombie apocalypse
… 2012
… a plague
… middle school
… in the wilderness
… a tornado
… a breakup
… high school

I was actually researching how to survive (or not survive) flash floods as story research. But it quickly becomes a game, typing in various, reasonably broad terms to see what comes up.

One gets a look at our obsessions:

How much …
… house can I afford
… should I weigh
… is a stamp
… sodium per day
… is my car worth
… mortgage can I afford
… is a passport
… is a first class stamp
… is my house worth

And at the things that we’re curious about:

Why …
… is the sky blue
… do cats purr
… am I so tired
… you wanna lyrics
… do we yawn
… do men cheat
… is the ocean salty
… do I sweat so much
… do dogs lick
… are manhole covers round

And the things we don’t know but wish we did:

How to …
… tie a tie
… hard boil eggs
… boil eggs
… cite a website
… write a cover letter
… draw
… get rid of acne
… calculate gpa
… trail your dragon
… cook asparagus

Sometimes, you just turn up something bizarre:

When …
… is easter 2012
… is father’s day 2012
… is mother’s day
… is mother’s day 2012
… did the titanic sink
… is memorial day
… does the narwhal bacon
(at midnight, as it turns out)

But there are stories to be found:

Once upon a time there …
… was an ugly barnacle
… was you
… was a tavern
… was a boy
… was a prince
… was
… was light in my life
… was candy and dan
… was an ocean
… was an honest shoemaker

If you want to play, feel free to join in in comments.

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