Did you know that '1437' is text slang for 'I love you forever', based on the number of letters in each word? Or that Russians are the only people who dream about picking mushrooms? Or that naming a child Lucifer is illegal in New Zealand? These are among the fascinating revelations in a new book by Google's data editor, Simon Rogers.
What Our Searches Reveal
Rogers describes his role as feeling 'like an archaeologist, uncovering unknown truths about who we are.' His book explores what we ask the search engine, what it tells us, and what that reveals about the modern world. Among the surprises: searches for dream meanings vary by language—camels are only searched by Arabic speakers, and garlic is uniquely Portuguese. Rogers admits he doesn't know why Russians dream of mushrooms, but speculates it may reflect a cultural association with escape and nature.
Seasonal and Evergreen Searches
Some searches follow predictable patterns. 'Why am I so tired?' spikes every March when clocks go forward, except in Thailand where they don't observe daylight saving. It also rises in June and July, possibly due to increasing temperatures. 'Comfort food' peaks in October, and 'how to play piano' surges in December. But the mystery of why 'who invented peanut butter' spikes every February remains unsolved (the first patent was filed by John Harvey Kellogg).
Love is a constant theme. 'How to ask a girl out' ranks high, as does the philosophical 'what is love?' Many wonder if a wedding ceremony stops when someone objects—the answer is no, unless it's a legally valid reason. Health searches account for one in 20 of all queries, and 'should I get a dog?' is searched twice as often as 'should I have kids?'
A Ray of Hope
With 15% of daily queries being entirely new, the book highlights humanity's curiosity. Despite gloomy news, Rogers finds inspiration in the data: most people are good, seeking to help themselves and others. 'How to help someone with depression' consistently ranks among the most-searched questions. And we're constantly finding new ways to have fun—'how to make slime' peaked between 2016 and 2019, closely followed by 'how to get slime out of carpet.'
