Searching for Facts

When you're looking for hard facts, Google might be able to help. Yes, Google always returns a list of sites that match your specific query, but if you phrase your query correctlyand are searching for a fact that Google has preidentifiedyou can get the precise information you need at the top of the search results page.

What types of information are we talking about, here? Fact-based information, such as birthdates, birthplaces, population, and so on. All you have to do is enter a query that states the fact you want to know. For example:

• To find the population of San Francisco, enter population san Francisco.

• To find where Mark Twain was born, enter birthplace mark twain.

• To find when President Bill Clinton was born, enter birthday bill clinton.

• To find when Raymond Chandler died, enter die raymond chandler.

• To find who is the president of Germany, enter president germany.

The answers to these questions are displayed at the top of your search results page, as shown in Figure 10.1. You get the precise answer to your question, according to the referenced website. Click the associated link to learn more from this source.

Figure 10.1. A typical top-of-page Google Q&A fact.

This capability to display "quick answers to straightforward questions" is called Google Q&A, and the information presented is typical reference information, the kind of stuff you might find in a desk reference or almanac. Google Q&A isn't always consistent about the sources of this info, nor about the specific facts that are displayed. For example, searching for distance to mars returns no quick fact; neither does height empire state building or size football field. So accept what you get, and recognize that Google is selective about the facts it knows.

Caution

If a fact isn't in the Google Q&A database, it won't be displayed on the search results page.