Google’s ‘Fun Facts’ Are A Sure Fire Way To Torpedo Your Work Ethic
Back before smartphones and Internet were a part of our everyday lives (yes, such a time existed), the popular way to kill time at work was to play lightweight Windows games like Minesweeper, Solitaire, or my my favorite, SkiFree. These days? It's looking up cat memes and YouTube videos. Alternatively, you can brush up on your trivia using a new trick in Google search.
Just type "fun fact" or "I'm feeling curious" into Google search and a dynamic box will appear with a random fact presented in question and answer format. For example, do you know how long alligators have been around? Around 200 million years, according to my time wasting session with this new feature. And miraculously, humans haven't forced any of the 23 species of crocodilians into extinction.
If you want to learn more about a topic or find yourself questioning the accuracy of a fun fact, there's a link underneath each answer to the source. The example about crocodiles came from a PBS article titled, "The Extraordinary Lives of Crocs," in case you're wondering.
What makes this a time waster is the inclusion of a blue "Ask Another Question" button underneath the Q&A box. Each time you click it, Google refreshes the box with another random and often interesting fact, like when bread was first made (8,000 BC) and how many shipwrecks are on the ocean floor (it's estimated to be over 3 million). It's like swimming in a sea of Snapple caps.
If you get bored of being bombarded with facts, head over to Google's homepage and hover your mouse cursor over the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button. And if you just want to play a game, there's always the Pac-Man doodle.
Just type "fun fact" or "I'm feeling curious" into Google search and a dynamic box will appear with a random fact presented in question and answer format. For example, do you know how long alligators have been around? Around 200 million years, according to my time wasting session with this new feature. And miraculously, humans haven't forced any of the 23 species of crocodilians into extinction.
If you want to learn more about a topic or find yourself questioning the accuracy of a fun fact, there's a link underneath each answer to the source. The example about crocodiles came from a PBS article titled, "The Extraordinary Lives of Crocs," in case you're wondering.
What makes this a time waster is the inclusion of a blue "Ask Another Question" button underneath the Q&A box. Each time you click it, Google refreshes the box with another random and often interesting fact, like when bread was first made (8,000 BC) and how many shipwrecks are on the ocean floor (it's estimated to be over 3 million). It's like swimming in a sea of Snapple caps.
If you get bored of being bombarded with facts, head over to Google's homepage and hover your mouse cursor over the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button. And if you just want to play a game, there's always the Pac-Man doodle.
