Worldly Concerns Characterize This Week's Google Zeitgeist

Google Announces Top 15 Gainers for the Week Ending December 9

This week, people searching on Google.com showed a keen interest in real-world events past, present and future. The historically-minded took note of the 65th anniversary of [Pearl Harbor]. Newswatchers followed the sad story of [James Kim], the San Francisco man whose body was found in the Oregon wilderness days after he set out to find help for his stranded family (who did survive). Continued talk about an upcoming proposed hike in the federal [minimum wage] sparked many search queries, as did [NASA] delays in launching the space shuttle Discovery, now slated for a Dec. 9 liftoff. [Taco Bell] found itself front and center as it sought to determine whether a source of green onions was to blame for a new outbreak of e.coli. Football fans marveled over the fact that coach [Rich Rodriguez] pledged to stay put at the University of West Virginia despite a lucrative offer from Alabama. Model-watchers were obsessed with Brazilian [Alessandra Ambrosio], who took to the runway at the televised "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show," and also with North Dakotan CariDee, who won the latest round of [America's Top Model]. In other entertainment happenings, veteran singer-songwriter [Randy Newman] captured favorable reviews for his latest tour and his latest Grammy nomination, and this week's DVD release proved to be a real winner: the second [Pirates of the Caribbean] movie has sold 5 million discs already.

For breaking news and obscure information alike, people around the world search on Google. What follows is a summary of Google Zeitgeist results for the top gainers on Google.com, when comparing search queries that have risen by a significant percentage for the week of December 3-9, 2006.

For more information, visit Google Zeitgeist.

Google.com Gainers

1. james kim
   
2. pearl harbor
   
3. nasa
   
4. randy newman
   
5. alessandra ambrosio
   
6. taco bell
   
7. pirates of the caribbean
   
8. minimum wage
   
9. rich rodriguez
   
10. america's next top model