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What Does Google Suggest Suggest About Humanity?

CNETNate writes "You'll laugh, but mostly you'll cry. Some of the questions Google gets asked to deliver results for is beyond worrying. 'Can you put peroxide in your ear?', 'Why would a pregnancy test be negative?', and 'Why can't I own a Canadian?' being just a selection of the truly baffling — and disturbing — questions Google is regularly forced to answer."

15 of 513 comments (clear)

  1. 'Can I put peroxide in my ear?' by EvanED · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is the peroxide question that stupid? The only thing I can think of is that the person probably meant 'hydrogen peroxide', and then I think it's a pretty reasonable question.

    1. Re:'Can I put peroxide in my ear?' by nine-times · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I agree. Hydrogren peroxide is a common home remedy for ear-aches and wax buildup. It seems reasonable (and even smart) for someone, upon receiving advice to put hydrogen peroxide in his ears, to plug it into Google to see if it's actually a good idea.

      I also don't think "Why would a pregnancy test be negative?" is that crazy a question. Yes, there's the obvious answer (you're not pregnant), but one might assume the intention of the question is "Are there reasons why a pregnancy test would be negative even if the woman were pregnant?" Pregnancy tests aren't 100% accurate, after all, so someone might have just wanted to know what factors might throw one off.

      In fact, most of the questions in this article are pretty valid questions that I can understand a person wanting the answer to. "Am I going into labor?" Well it's not necessarily immediately obvious, and there's even such a thing as "false labor". "Why would a married man cheat?" It's a valid question, and I bet there are interesting scientific studies that try to address the question.

  2. Why can't I own Canadians? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

    1. Re:Why can't I own Canadians? by ElectricTurtle · · Score: 5, Funny

      That makes sense, since we're all such big dicks.

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    2. Re:Why can't I own Canadians? by j4s0n · · Score: 5, Funny

      It takes balls to admit that...

  3. Obligatory George Carlin Quote by kidblast · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."

  4. 'Owning A Canadian' refers to a joke by The_AV8R · · Score: 5, Informative

    A radio personality named Dr. Laura Schlessinger, an orthodox jew, once said on her show that homosexuality was an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and could not be condoned under any circumstance. "Why Can't I Own A Canadian is the title of the letter in response to her comments.

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  5. Re:Really? by Guido+del+Confuso · · Score: 5, Informative

    Try actually searching for those terms. It's the title of an essay satirizing Dr. Laura Schlessinger and Biblical literalism. Not so weird, really, in context.

    This is two monumentally stupid articles I've seen from CNET UK in as many days (the other one being the power plugs article from yesterday). If Slashdot continues to post them, I think we should insist on a tag just for that site so we can filter them out.

  6. Many of these questions are legitimate by ShooterNeo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Many of the "inane" questions in the article illustrate the stupidity of the journalist who wrote the article. Most of these questions are legitimate, with a legitimate answer.

    Some examples :
    Can you put peroxide in your ear?

    Actually, you can use it to remove earwax and to disinfect your ear if you went swimming in dirty water. It's a perfectly safe, legitimate use.

    Am I going in labour?

    Actually, other pains can be mistaken for labor, and it takes hours to develop in many women. Perhaps you're a woman, and you want to know if that abdominal pain was your first contraction or just a GI problem.

    Am I having a heart attack?

    Again, it's possible to mistake heartburn and cracked ribs for a heart attack. Maybe you should see what the symptoms are before you blow $300 at the Emergency Room.

    Why can't black people swim? Why can't white people dance? Both must be stereotypical behaviors, and maybe there is a reason why it can seem like both are true.

    Can you drink your own urine?

    Again, a legitimate question. In a desperate situation, drinking your own urine may extend your survival under some environmental conditions. It's commonly mentioned in media.

    Why would a pregnancy test be negative?

    Yes, it's possible to get a negative test and be pregnant.

    Can two women make a baby?

    Yes, it's possible with newly developed technology to create sperm from stem cells. However, it has never been demonstrated in humans and may be quite unsafe.

  7. My own contribution: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Me:
    what is the

    Google:
    date today
    meaning of life
    population of Canada
    name of bo and luke dukes 69 dodge charger in the tv series the dukes of hazzard
    population of the world
    sum of days in a week months in a year hours in a day
    largest city in canada
    canadian dollar worth
    best laptop
    capital of california

    I don't know how their system works, but I don't think it's based on actual searches that people have done. I mean, how many people who google for the name of the Dukes' car would actually type a full sentence like that?

    Another one I just tried:

    Me:
    what's worse than
    Google:
    a pile of dead babies

  8. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  9. Disturbing Search Requests by John+Jorsett · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One of the sites I like to look at from time to time is a blog of webmasters who post some of the more bizarre search requests that have led people to their sites. A recent one: "masturbate with armor all". http://www.disturbingsearchrequests.com/

  10. Yes. Really. by dazedNconfuzed · · Score: 5, Funny

    I own a Canadian. Cost me everything I have, and everything I ever will have. Worth every penny.

    However, independent observers may conclude she owns me. ...sorry, gotta run, being paged...

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  11. Re:Really? by click2005 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can you put peroxide in your ear?

    Yes, unless its frozen.

    Why would a pregnancy test be negative?

    Because you're male

    Why can't I own a Canadian?

    You can until the ACTA comes into effect. From then, you must license your Canadian.

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  12. Re:Really? by box4831 · · Score: 5, Funny

    common treatment for ear infections, ingrown hairs, cuts and ear infections.

    Does it cure redundancy too?

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