It's that time of year : bioephemera

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It's that time of year

Category: Conspicuous consumption • Ephemera • Events • Frivolity • Science in Culture & Policy • Web 2.0, New Media, and Gadgets
Posted on: November 22, 2009 11:09 AM, by Jessica Palmer

Pop quiz: this Google Trends chart represents searches for what word or phrase?

Picture 3.png

the answer? a word that the vast majority of people never use - except on Thanksgiving.

Go chemistry! :)

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Comments

Is the answer Tryptophan?
(Do I get a prize?)

Posted by: Alicia Lyman-Holt | November 22, 2009 11:55 AM

That's totally fucking hilarious!

Posted by: Comrade PhysioProf | November 22, 2009 12:41 PM

Is it just me, or is that graph on a slow downward trend?

Posted by: Brad Pitcher | November 22, 2009 1:07 PM

Indeed, Alicia! Brad, I have no explanation for the downward trend, but an optimist might suggest the American public is gradually learning at least one of its amino acids. :)

By the way, I had another comment on Facebook that this could be the trend for "turkey." It's not; "turkey" also peaks (much lower) at Christmas. I assume that's from novelty-seeking (or lazy) cooks who Google a recipe each time they prepare, or maybe from hosts who didn't cook at Thanksgiving, and need to Google a recipe for Christmas.

Posted by: Jessica Palmer | November 22, 2009 2:02 PM

The Google trendline shows that "Tryptophan" is definitely ephemeral.

The baseline seems to be on a downward trend, but the Thanksgiving spikes might be on a three-year cycle. Maybe people are using Trytophan less now than five years ago?

Posted by: John | November 22, 2009 2:14 PM

I notice a smaller pre-spike, which I assume correlates with the Canadian holiday.

Posted by: Jason Thibeault | November 22, 2009 3:01 PM

Heh. I had guessed "the war on christmas".

Posted by: Anon | November 22, 2009 3:48 PM