People searching the Internet for information are more likely to find the correct
answer than a wrong one. The catch is that you’re most likely not to find an answer
at all. Researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus (Reference and user
Services Quarterly, vol 38, p 360) used search engines to carry out keyword
searches on 60 simple questions, such as “What is the population of Cloumbus,
Ohio?”, and found that 64 per cent of Web pages either didn’t contain the answer
or no longer existed. Of the remainder, 27 per cent had the correct information. The
others were wrong.
More from New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Life
New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ recommends a brilliant take on the evolution of birds
Culture

Environment
Striking photos show how sands are encroaching on oases in the Sahara
Regulars

Comment
Think you have a good sense of humour? So do most people…
Regulars

Comment
Sci-fi horror film Backrooms is a triumph for its 20-year-old director
Culture
Popular articles
Trending New Å®ÉúСÊÓÆµ articles
1
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
2
Millions of fossil whale bones found in deep-ocean ‘necropolis’
3
Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening
4
Understanding anorexia’s grip on the brain could unlock new therapies
5
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
6
Pancreatic cancer halted by virus injection in three patients
7
What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?
8
Wolves seen hunting European bison in rare camera-trap recording
9
Unpicking endometriosis reveals how it affects more than the pelvis
10
How a radical new view of life could reveal its origin – and aliens