15 November 2018
"Do ghosts exist?", "Will I ever be thin?" and "What are the winning lottery numbers?" are just some of the burning questions Brits WISH the internet could answer, according to a new study.
Researchers polled the nation to discover the important questions we wish the World Wide Web could provide us the answer to, with "Is time travel possible?", "Will I ever be rich?" and "What is the meaning of life?" also making the definitive list.
The study has been commissioned by UKTV's award-winning entertainment channel Dave for the launch of its new game show Beat The Internet with John Robins, produced by VICE Studios, which starts Thursday 15th November 8pm.
More topical queries we wish we could get a definitive answer to include "Will Brexit be a success?" and "Did Donald Trump rig the election?".
The data also revealed the nation's thirst for knowledge, with a massive 89 percent of the 1,500 respondents admitting there are many questions in life they simply need to know the answers to.
According to the data we spend, on average, seven hours every week surfing the net for "futile rubbish", with the average Brit searching the internet eight times a day looking for resolution to a burning question.
Host of Beat the Internet on Dave and Edinburgh Award winning comedian John Robins said:
For many years now, I've been suspicious that the 'internet' is getting too big for its boots. Its war against our high streets, laws and HMRC goes completely unchecked, and that's not to mention the unknown impact on future generations who have never known a life without it.
And this research reveals that the internet is failing the public by not answering the questions we really need answers to. It's appalling - and I therefore invite you to Beat The Internet on 15th November at 8pm on Dave.
Luke Hales, Dave channel director, added:
Our research reveals that - although the internet provides answers aplenty, there are some Very Big Important questions it just can't help us with. At least we can watch the hilarious and unpredictable results when the contestants of our new quiz show Beat The Internet with John Robins try to predict what search engines will come up with.
And we won't stop asking, even if we know the responses could well be a let-down. Two thirds of us (65 percent) admit we search for answers we know the internet simply can't help us with.
Worryingly, 31 percent of those polled said they believed everything they read online. Reassuringly, the majority (69 percent) of Brits said they take everything they read on the internet with a pinch of salt.
Nearly seven out of ten (69 percent) also claimed they regularly start typing one question, only to end up searching the question thrown up by the search engine's predictive text - as it's more interesting.
Almost seven in ten of us (67 percent) admit they rely on the internet too much, with a further 70 percent admitting they head online to settle day to day arguments with family and friends.
'Beat The Internet with John Robins', produced by VICE Studios, airs on Dave from Thursday 15th November at 8pm and 8:30pm.
Top 25 Questions We Wish the Internet Would Answer - but it can't:
- What are the winning lottery numbers? (33 percent)
- What really happens when you die? (22 percent)
- Do aliens exist? (22 percent)
- Is time travel possible? (20 percent)
- Will I ever be rich? (20 percent)
- What is the meaning of life? (19 percent)
- Do ghosts exist? (19 percent)
- Is there a parallel universe? (19 percent)
- How do we end poverty? (18 percent)
- Is there a God? (16 percent)
- Who shot JFK? (15 percent)
- Is the Loch Ness Monster alive? (14 percent)
- When will the world end? (14 percent)
- Am I a good person? (13 percent)
- Did Donald Trump rig the election? (13 percent)
- When will I die? (13 percent)
- How am I going to die? (12 percent)
- Do people like me? (12 percent)
- Will I ever be thin? (11 percent)
- Did the moon landings actually happen? (11 percent)
- What came first, the chicken or the egg? (11 percent)
- Am I good looking? (9 percent)
- Does my cat really like me? (8 percent)
- Am I good in bed? (8 percent)
- Is my partner cheating on me? (8 percent)
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