Amusing Google Easter Eggs (E-Eggs)

Software programmers are not all that geeky and nurdy folks! They too love fun and jokes. To express their funny side in their own language, software programmers code some funny stuff inside a useful piece of software. In computer terminology, Easter Eggs or e-eggs are tricky functionality hidden inside a piece of software. E-eggs are planted by software programmers and are mostly aimed at amusing users. A large number of software and important websites do have hidden e-eggs. Google is known for cracking April Fool jokes –so it does not come as a surprise if you find several e-eggs hidden in various Google services.

I am listing a few Google Easter eggs below. Try these out and have fun!

Type Google Gravity in Google search and click I’m feeling lucky button

(If you are using Instant Search, the “I’m feeling lucky” link comes on the right hand side of the suggested items. You would need to take your mouse cursor over the suggested term)

This is not exactly an e-egg because the effect you get to see is not created by Google. A click on “I’m feeling lucky” button takes you directly to the page that would first turn up in the result. The keywords Google Gravity do bring the effect page in the first place.

You’ll land on a page that shows Google search home page collapsing due to “gravity”.

Type askew or tilt in Google Search and see the page getting skewed.

(this works only in Webkit based browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari)

Google will present search results but at the same time will tilt the page towards right hand side. A practical demonstration of what a tilt is! Isn’t it?

If you press this button without entering any text in the search box –the results will show all the Google Doodles for the current year.

Google Doodles are graphics that Google sometimes use to replace its logo on search page.

In Gmail, usually an advertisement is shown on top of your emails. But if you’ll go to Spam folder –Google will show spam recipes instead of advertisements.

Go to spam folder and then open any of the emails. You’ll see spam recipe on top of the message. Google has added this feature as a taunt to the spammers of the world who have nothing better to do in their lives!

Google Mentalplex is also not exactly an Easter egg. It was created as an April Fool joke in the year 2000; but it is still quite popular. Mentalplex was the first April Fool joke that Google cracked.

Google has not removed or changed this website. It is being regularly maintained since the year 2000. Mentleplex give some nonsense instructions to users to search better and faster. Give it a try, but don’t move your head! ;-)

Type “recursion” in Google search

Search result will be shown but a message will come Did you mean: recursion … if you click on the “suggested” term (which is exactly the same as you had typed!) you’ll actually be doing a recursive search that will never end! But that’s exactly what recursion means –isn’t it?

Google guys are smart!

Google is well known for its Doodles as well. These doodles are the modified Google logos that the search engine shows on important occasions. Google celebrated 30th anniversary of Pacman game and placed Google Pacman as a Doodle from 21-23 May 2010. This game caused addiction to thousands of people and resulted in a great deal of decreased work productivity. Google Pacman became so popular that Google immortalized it on google.com/pacman

Have you seen the proverbial Loch Ness monster? Well, it seems Google has! They have inserted a hint of Nessie as an Easter egg in Google Maps. While using Google Maps, when you zoom into the Loch Ness (Scotland) you will see the ever elusive Nessie! Click here to see Google Nessie

Google might ask you to install Google Earth plug-in to view the Maps in 3D. Then you’ll be able to see something which nobody has seen before!

Oh you must have heard of Horsepower. But are poor donkeys have no power? Do they do all that hardwork without being powerful? Google has “measured” power of a donkey. And you can find it out too.

Type “donkeypower” in Google search and you’ll be shown the result (1 donkeypower = 250.033167 watts)

How often does a blue moon occur? As they say, Google knows everything! So Google tells you the “frequency” of a blue moon as well.

Type “once in a blue moon” in Google search and see the result (once in a blue moon = 1.16699016 × 10-8 hertz)

This is it for now. I will keep on updating this list of amusing Google Easter eggs. Please share this page if you liked it and do come back to see the updates.

Also, please let me know if you have information on any other Google e-eggs. I will add it to the list with credit to you. Thank you for using TechWelkin!