More than 90 percent of global Internet searches occur on Google, making it one of the world’s most trusted sources for gathering information. Many of the questions fielded by the site can be solved with a single obvious answer, such as “When is Thanksgiving this year?” or “What is the capital of Canada?” Recently, though, the search engine has begun to provide answers for increasingly abstract inquiries concerning religion, politics, and even the meaning of life. This video takes a look at how Google’s efforts to become a one-stop shop for all information can occasionally lead to confusing results.

Questions:

1. How does Google’s “snippet” feature work, and why does it sometimes provide users with unreliable information?
2. Do you trust the information you receive from Internet search engines? Why or why not?