Today I Googled Gray

Google when do I use grey vs gray spelling?

This is an issue that came up during an email today when I realized I had no idea how to properly spell the color that is slightly lighter than black but way darker than white. The answer: either! They are the same word. The spelling most people use depends on region really; most Americans use gray while most other English language speakers (U.K., ect) use the spelling grey. Both are correct. (Crayola uses gray.. so I will go with them since everyone knows they invented color in the first place...)

Today I Googled Lobster Longevity

Google, do lobsters live forever?

Sooo lobsters harness a magical enzyme called telomerase that allows them to repair their own DNA. This superhero trait helps them to prevent the aging process granting potential for never ending growth with no signs of aging. Thus, in theory, lobsters can live infinitely and grow to impressive sizes! The Guinness World Record for largest lobster went to a 44 pounder (that's him in the picture above)! As far as the oldest lobster, well that's hard to tell thanks to their homegrown anti-aging serum.... they think 100 years? Eventually, disease, predators, and Red Lobster intervene and they meet their demise. It is not surprising that scientists are very interested in this enzyme and are researching ways to use it for anti-aging and even as a cure for cancer!

Today I Googled Condiments

Google, what is the most popular condiment in the USA?

I had to change my Google wording from “popular” to “best-selling” to get actual quantitative results. You wouldn’t believe the people who really wanted ketchup to be the most popular, even if it wasn’t… “Baseball, apple pie, and KETCHUP that’s what defines ‘Merica”. Glad we have our priorities aligned with what it truly means to be a patriot of this country. Sorry fellas but I’ll see your ‘Merican and raise you a Mexican! The best-selling condiments are actually in this order:
1. Mayonnaise
2. Salsa
3. Ketchup
GROSS.....I.HATE.MAYONNAISE.

Today I Googled Lifespans

Google, what animal has the longest lifespan?

A clam! The ocean quahog (Arctica islandica) is a mollusk that is commercially harvested and shipped primarily to the USA to claim it’s fate in the land of the free as….. clam chowder. The “black clam” is known for it’s longevity and slow aging process. The longest living specimen ever to be collected was 405 years old! Like trees, clams have annual growth rings around their shell that researchers can count and use to identify lifespan. Fun fact: this clam was alive when the Mayflower ported at Plymouth Rock. Long live the clam! Eh? Eh??

Today I Googled #hashtagphenomenon #whatisthemostused#wearepluggedin#humansorrobots

Google, what is the most popular hashtag on the internet?

Ah the hashtag phenomenon. We are all plugged in and it is getting out of control. We have taken face-to-face conversation, a crucial element in the balance of human relationships and connectivity, and traded it in for computer coded expression of emotion. Today I decided to play along, so out of curiosity I Googled the most used #hashtag on the internet. Turns out it is #love! <- This hashtag was used on 284,176,057 photos on the internet, according to hashtag analytics... Yea you hear that right, there are websites that manage and monitor hashtag trends, definitions, evolution, and even etiquette. Geez! Just think in 10 years, with that type of linguistic study, we humans won’t be required to express our emotions at all unless through a keyboard and a hard drive.

P.S. For those who remember what it is, does this hashtag communication remind anyone else of MS Dos, except now WE are the computers pinging the information to each other instead of our hard drive? Erie. #wearerobots

Today I Googled Toothpaste

Google, why does toothpaste punish my taste buds?

There is a reason that any food or drink tastes yuck after brushing your teeth and it is not just that minty fresh flavoring. Toothpaste contains a chemical called sodium lauryl ether sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate (depending on your brand) an additive that generates the foaming sensation, making it easier to polish your pearlies. These chemicals happen to have two sneaky side effects and are responsible for making it impossible to enjoy a post-brush glass of OJ. These agents start by suppressing the receptors in our palate that register sweetness, making everything taste bitter. As if that weren’t enough to make you pucker, they also breakdown the phospholipids on our tongues (molecules that help to monitor our taste buds and intercede when a bitter taste seems overwhelming) therefore breaking down our natural shun for harsh flavors. I feel violated. Now, they DO make toothpaste without these chemicals (the all-natural brands) but, as for me, the foaming sensation is a very important part of the tooth brushing experience so I suppose I will be enduring the side effects to the bitter end.

Today I Googled Public Swimming Pools

Google, what country has the most swimming pools?

Quick answer: United States, then England, then China. This is the technical answer to the information search.

Today my Google was to find out about the contrast in popularity of swimming pools, worldwide, but that is NOT what grabbed me in the search results. I quickly shifted my scope from MOST pools to grimiest. Did you know that China has the most crowded and DIRTIEST pools on the planet?! Chinese pools are so consistently crowded that patriots popularized a common expression for going swimming… they call it “boiling dumplings”. Their public pools are so laden with bodies the only thing left to do is stand and bob in one spot! The consequence of these overcrowded pools? The urine and fecal matter levels have been known to get as high as 96%! In fact, check out this report: “In 2008 one man died and 3,158 swimmers were critically poisoned when they swallowed the pool's water which was laced with the urine and fecal matter of 47,000 swimmers in the gigantic Mao Mao Municipal Pool in Beijing.” I can’t even finish my coffee after reading this. Just thought I would share.