Not just you!

"How to make slime." Remember that craze? It peaked in 2016-2019 (along with "how to get slime out of the carpet"). Search data is a time capsule of our obsessions.

WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE is out soon: whatweaskgoogle.blog

It is weird to be a guest on your own podcast, but that's what's happening in today's episode. A very Data Journalism Podcast discussion. Data, the illustrations (by Nigel Holmes) and the world's brain through the numbers.

Take a listen here: lnkd.in/g2jMgXjX

More: whatweaskgoogle.blog

We worry about our pets' feelings. "Do dogs grieve?" is a top search. We also ask "Do dogs cry tears?" 😢

A lot of WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE is actually about grief - in all forms. Even in the ways we search for our pets.

Pre-order here: whatweaskgoogle.blog

Just finished reading the draft of this book for the second time, and it made me smile and think as much as it did the first time. Pre-order it.

Also, it's full of illustrations by @nigelblue.bsky.social. As Simon writes, "There's a joy to Nigel's work which emanates through his art to the reader."

"Did you know...?" What We Ask Google is your guide to the way we search for the things that really matter to us.

Find out more: whatweaskgoogle.blog

What connects our searches for "what is love" and "how to boil an egg"? A "deep well of curiosity," according to The Data Detective author @timharford.ft.com

I’m incredibly grateful for his kind words on my upcoming book, What We Ask Google. Pre-order your copy today: whatweaskgoogle.blog

"Why is my poo green? 🤢 It’s a top health search! (And no, it's not normally related to St Patrick's Day). Search is the one place we are totally honest. That’s why I wrote What We Ask Google.

Find out more:
whatweaskgoogle.blog

Social media is a performance, but search is for what you really care about. We don't post that we forgot how to boil an egg, for example (or why the dog insists being in this!). WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE is out May 5th. Pre-order your copy here: whatweaskgoogle.blog

"A deeply human window into our shared curiosity... the most honest portrait of humanity you'll ever read."

Blown away by this incredible endorsement of What We Ask Google from the brilliant futurist Amy Webb. We are far more curious, helpful, and connected than we think! 🔍📈👇
whatweaskgoogle.blog

🚨Are you at #NICAR26 today? Don't miss the Data Journalism Podcast live recording at 5pm with @propublica.org plus @kleinmatic.bsky.social, @albertocairo.com and me!

schedules.ire.org/nicar-2026/#...

⏰ Clocks change soon ⏰. "When do we turn the clocks back?" is the #1 "When..." question about time. "Why am I so tired?" also spikes every March. 😴 Search data is the world's clock.

Find out more and pre-order WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE: whatweaskgoogle.blog

Win an advance copy of my new book What We Ask Google via this Goodreads giveaway! 📚👇

I’ve spent a decade as Google’s Data Editor tracking what the world types into the search bar. The verdict? We aren't as divided as you think.

www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

Have you had to search "How to boil an egg" recently? 🥚 You're not alone—it's a top food search worldwide! We all need help with the basics. Want to know what else the world is searching for? Win a copy of What We Ask Google in this Goodreads giveaway:

www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

Our bodies are mysteries to us, and we often don’t know where to start when something feels off. You might be surprised to learn that the #1 "What causes..." search around health isn't a disease at all—it's "hiccups"! 😲

Pre-order WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE here: whatweaskgoogle.blog

And another big thank you to @simonrogers.bsky.social and @albertocairo.com for their unwavering support and enthusiasm and making it possible for Google Trends to sponsor this piece 🙏

I'm a sucker for a pretty style guide. mtc.ca.gov/sites/defaul...

New event: Join me live in San Francisco, May 6 Bay Area friends! 🌉 I’m thrilled to be at Book Passage in San Francisco on May 6th to discuss my new book, WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE, with the incredible Clara Jeffery. We’ll be diving into what our search history reveals about us—the profound, the mundane, and everything in between. 📍 Save the date! Hope to see you there. Simon RogersIn conversation with Clara Jeffery What We Ask GoogleA Surprisingly Hopeful History of Humankind Ferry Building StoreWed., May 6th, 2026 • 5:30 PM

Bay Area friends! 🌉 I’m thrilled to be at Book Passage in San Francisco on May 6th to discuss my new book, WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE, with the incredible Clara Jeffery. 📍 Save the date!

A special FT magazine issue all about maps is out today, w great pieces by @okr.bsky.social and @theboysmithy.ft.com, plus maps by me on how glacial melt is redrawing Alpine borders, the battle to redraw America and more

Read it online here (though best enjoyed in print!) www.ft.com/content/efab...

📣 NEW! I’ve just released the BIGGEST and perhaps most creative project I’ve ever worked on!

“Searching for Birds” searchingforbirds.visualcinnamon.com 🐤

A project, an article, an exploration that dives into the data that connects humans with birds, by looking at how we search for birds.

Data + Birds = Beauty

Birdwatching is getting really popular: 96 million people in the US are birders and that produces a lot of Search data. And that means there is a lot of potential for beautiful data visuals (a great example is Jer Thorp's work in the field). So, when Nadieh Bremer told…

So, I have this book coming out in May: WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE. It's a real family portrait of who we are after two decades and counting of search data. It's about what we can see through this most honest of datasets.

Find out more and pre-order it here: whatweaskgoogle.blog

We love our pets so much we get metaphysical. "Does my dog know... that I love them?" is a top search. We also ask "Does my dog know I'm pregnant?" (Spoiler: They probably do). 🐶

Pre-order WHAT WE ASK GOOGLE here: whatweaskgoogle.blog

New podcast alert: Data journalism in the face of ICE and subzero temperatures in MN MaryJo Webster⁠ is data editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune. She joins Alberto, Scott and Simon to talk about her team’s ongoing coverage of federal immigration troops deployed in Minnesota. They discuss analyzing data in a breaking news environment, and what reporters in other places can learn from the Star Tribune’s approach. ⁠Subscribe to the Minnesota Star Tribune⁠ to read more of their coverage. Work mentioned in the episode: ⁠Homeland Security presence in Minnesota dwarfs Twin Cities’ largest police forces⁠ ⁠Wave of immigrants file lawsuits to fight ICE detention⁠

New podcast alert: Data journalism in the face of ICE and subzero temperatures in MN

MaryJo Webster⁠ is data editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune. She joins Alberto, Scott and Simon to talk about her team’s ongoing coverage of federal immigration troops deployed in Minnesota. They discuss…

New pages from ‘What We Ask Google’ See sample pages from the upcoming book What We Ask Google, with illustrations by Nigel Holmes

Only a few months until publication! See sample pages from the upcoming book What We Ask Google, with illustrations by Nigel Holmes

Did you know "How to help a bee" spikes in the UK every June? 🐝 It might be the most British search ever. It’s proof that we are constantly trying to be better, kinder citizens of the planet. #WhatWeAskGoogle

whatweaskgoogle.blog

Happy New Year! 🎆 Search data proves we are creatures of rhythm. "Diet" and "Gym" spike every January. But so does "divorce lawyers." We want to reinvent ourselves. My new book What We Ask Google tracks these rhythms of our lives. Pre-order: whatweaskgoogle.blog

New podcast episode: Data storytelling in 2026 As a new year begins, we reflect on the state of data journalism. We discuss our dataviz favorites from 2025 and what Alberto, Scott and I are working on in 2026. What will happen in data visualisation and journalism this year?

New podcast episode: Data storytelling in 2026

As a new year begins, we reflect on the state of data journalism. We discuss our dataviz favorites from 2025 and what Alberto, Scott and I are working on in 2026. What will happen in data visualisation and journalism this year?

Want to know what the world cares about? We just released our annual #YearinSearch. And thanks to AI in @Google search, the way we ask questions is changing. (And yes, that includes “What’s the deal with 6-7?”).

Explore the lists and video → trends.withgoogle.com/year-in-sear...

New podcast episode: "Launching the Trans News Initiative" goes inside a new way to see media reports as an interactive #dataviz
creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...