See what happens when you tell Google: I’m feeling curious
Google unveils a fun new feature for those who are bored at work
Google hasn’t only unveiled a dismal new logo this week – the search engine has also been updated with a new feature that might stave off boredom during a tea break. Type or speak “I’m feeling curious” into the search bar, or merely type “fun facts”, and Google turns into the search engine equivalent of QI, throwing a seemingly endless stream of interesting titbits in your direction.
The feature, first spotted by Search Engine Land, appears to have been regionalised, with visitors from Google.co.uk getting facts from British publications, such as: How big is the London Eye? The answer, courtesy of The Daily Telegraph website, is apparently 443ft (or 135m).
Once you’ve asked for and digested your first fact, a button appears just below the result inviting you to Ask Another Question. In the name of scientific research, we’ve been whacking the button for a good ten minutes and have yet to find a repeated question.
Amongst the questions we’ve had answered are:
Which is the hardest stone? (Diamonds, apparently, and not our guess: Steve, the former Notts Forest midfielder).
Why did firefighters use Dalmatians? (It was news to us, too, but apparently “the dogs were easily trained to run in front of carriages to help clear a path and quickly guide the horses and firefighters to the fires”. We’re guessing satnav has put the dogs out of work.)
How long have sharks been in the ocean? (450 million years, apparently. Surprised they’re not more wrinkly.)
What was the first country to allow females to vote? (Bad luck to all of you who thought it was those forward thinking, liberal North Koreans. It was in fact New Zealand, back in 1893.)
Random trivia isn’t the only new Google feature. If you visit Google.com and not Google.co.uk (Type Google.com into the address bar, and if it still redirects you back to Google.co.uk, click on the “Use Google.com” link that appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen) and hover over the I’m Feeling Lucky button. That should now spin and randomly land on one of several different variants, including:
I’m Feeling Hungry – which delivers listings of local restaurants
I’m Feeling Playful – a guide to recent Google Doodles
I’m Feeling Generous – links to charity projects
I’m Feeling Stellar – a guide to Google Earth