Top 10 UnexPlained Phenomena

Top 10 UnexPlained Phenomena

Google has created a great mystery this morning. If you go to Google's homepage (see below) and click on today's Google doodle, which is an image of a UFO, it takes you to to a general search for the term, "unexplained phenomenon." Moreover, as ofUnexplained Phenomenon: A Mystery Created by Google? this writing, two of the top Google search terms are the aforementioned "unexplained phenomenon" and "top 10 unexplained phenomena." What is baffling to many Web surfers about the Google unexplained phenomenon phenomenon is that typically, a Google doodle corresponds with a particular event such as a holiday or the birthday of a famous person. But that does not appear to be the case this morning.

Google has created a classic chicken or egg conundrum. Are "unexplained phenomenon" and "top 10 unexplained phenomena" top search terms because of the Google UFO doodle - which suggests that Google is purposely driving traffic to those topics - or did Google create the UFO logo in response to the popularity of the search terms "unexplained phenomenon" and "top 10 unexplained phenomena"? The Google unexplained phenomenon incident raises an interesting question: How much influence does Google have in terms of driving the news? It seems as though if Google chooses to, it can create a tremendous amount of buzz on any topic by simply creating a Google doodle that is representative of that particular topic.

It never occurred to me before today that the Google doodle has the potential to be a potent form of advertising. For instance, some are speculating that the Google UFO doodle is connected to the release of the film "District 9." If this is the case, it is rather subtle form of promotion. But imagine the possibilities that a Google doodle could provide to a studio interested in a more direct form of promotion. I can envision a situation where a studio, say Disney, would pay Google big money to create a doodle that would drive traffic to the website of a new film.

Unexplained Phenomenon

Unexplained Phenomenon

Google goes viral: Unexplained Phenomenon logo making waves on the web Updated 10:00 a.m. ET In an apparent effort to drive skeptics temporarily insane, search engine Google today began featuring a new doodle with a UFO which, when clicked, takes users to a search for "unexplained phenomenon." The search itself brings up a list of sites purporting to discuss paranormal phenomena, many of them doing so in an unquestioning way. Google, which is traditionally science-friendly, undoubtedly has a reason for this move. If it is an experiment in viral marketing, it appears to be working. As of 9:04 a.m., "unexplained phenonemon" was the number one search item on the U.S. search site.

One clue appears to have been posted at Google's twitter account. Shortly before midnight Eastern Time in the US, Google posted the numeric phrase "1.12.12 25.15.21.18 15 1.18.5 2.5.12.15.14.7 20.15 21.19 ." Substituting letters for numbers, this translates to "All your O are belong to us." In the unexplained phenomenon graphic, a UFO is seen "beaming up" one of the O's in Google. The phrase is a reference to "All your base belong to us," a mistranslated phrase from a Japanese video game that became a joke spreading virally across the internet in 2002.

In the past, you've paid attention to only half the signal from your appetite. The "I'm hungry. Feed me." part. That's the part of the signal that tells you to eat. (Nothing wrong with your hearing! Again, it's 'normal.') When that feeling of hunger first starts to disappear, your appetite says, "I'm satisfied." It's important that you pay attention to that piece of your friend's advice. Did you note that I said when that feeling of hunger FIRST starts to disappear!?