Google's Got Tricks Hidden Up Its Sleeve

I wrote earlier this week about how awesome I think search engines are. I wasn’t being sarcastic or even hyperbolic, in case you were wondering. I really do love search engines.

I prefer Google, though my parent’s use Bing! Either will perform a decent search. Google is known as a corporation that is kind of “fun.” This is reflected in some of their public products. Let’s go through some of my favorites.

These are all known as Easter eggs – “intentional hidden message or an in-joke” in something like a video game or computer program.

1. When you search for the word “anagram,” Google asks you if you meant to search for “nag a ram.” Which, obviously, is an anagram of the word anagram. 
2. Searching for “askew” makes the results screen tilt slightly to the right. When I first experienced this, I didn’t notice at first. I thought there was something wrong with my eyes, then my screen.
3. "Do a barrel roll” makes the results page rotate 360 degrees. This is a reference to an old Nintendo game.
4. The calculator also does some fun things. For instance, when you ask it for “the answer to life, the universe, and everything,” it yields the result “42.” This is a reference to Douglas Adams’ book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
5. The calculator also accepts some funny measurements like “Once in a blue moon” and “donkeypower.”
6. Google maps are also funny, sometimes. When you ask for directions from Japan to China, it tells you to jet ski.
7. Likewise, when you ask for directions from North American to Europe or Africa, it tells you to swim. From North America to Australia, kayak.
8. There is a certain area in Antarctica where the little dude turns into a penguin.
9. At Legoland, he turns into a lego man.
10. In street view, you can actually see some of the people at Google head quarters! I wonder if any of them programmed any of these Easter eggs.