The Evolution of Search (As Told by Google)

Google has been the major force in the technology, interface design and business of search over the last 15 years. But even so, the premise of its new infomercial seems to be based a bit more in creationism than evolution.

The company this morning released a video, titled “The Evolution of Search in Six Minutes,” that compiles interviews with its search leaders and takes a historical look at the major breakthroughs in search — well, at least those that have occurred since 1997, when the Google.com domain was registered.

So, what would be a hard query that Google wants to answer in the future? Complex questions that take reasoning, says Google Fellow Amit Singhal. “In my ideal world, I would be able to walk up to a computer and say, ‘Hey, what is the best time for me to sow seeds in India, given that monsoon was early this year?’” Singhal says in the video.