19 search results that prove Google has a sense of humour

Google celebrated the 30th anniversary of the beloved classic PAC-MAN in May 2010 with a fun in-browser version of the game.

Now it uses its homepage for fun Google tricks when celebrating other famous birthdays and holidays, too.

ZDNet offers a handy tip to sift through university research: first type “site:edu” to limit the query to educational institutions, then try “intitle:” before your topic.

For example, site:edu intitle:”American magazines” brings up results from Harvard, the University of Michigan, and more. You can also search get results from a specific website a similar way.

If a search result contains personal information or raises a legal issue, you can request to remove a page from your or another site.

Reverse image technology is allowing Google to assist child protection agencies in clearing the Web of child pornography.

How it works: Google indexes problematic images and finds any copies online, making it easy for Internet providers to cut them down.

Something isn’t quite right here.

If you type “askew” into Google, you’ll find something funny: The whole screen tilts down a bit to the right.

Type in “answer to life, the universe, and everything,” and Google has a pretty clear answer: 42.

The search results are a nod to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which claims the number is, in fact, the answer to life.

Google has hundreds of billions of web pages in its index (though some estimate it’s even more), so it probably can’t take loneliness very well.

Type in “the loneliest number” in the search box and some fun Google tricks show you a calculated number – the same one you’ll get if you type “number of horns on a unicorn.”

Thought “once in a blue moon” was just a vague expression? Not according to Google.

Search that phrase and you’ll get a very specific frequency: 1.16699016 × 10-8 hertz.

It’s a play off the fact that blue moons happen every 2.71 years.

Want to see something cool? Type “blink html” into your Google browser.

But be warned: you probably won’t be able to handle watching the blinking words for very long.

There’s nothing more frustrating than that “Unable to connect to the Internet” message on Chrome.

Luckily, Google knows your pain and lets you blow off some steam.

Hit the space bar on your keyboard and the dinosaur will jump into action, launching a game that provides endless fun.

Or at least as much fun as you can fit before remembering you had work to do.