The Web search engine Google continues to expand its power in cyberspace. Everyday people come up with another quirky way to make use of its almighty algorithms. First came the Googlewhack , where people with way too much time on their hands tried to find two different words that would come up with a single search result. But it didn't stop there.

Now a German blogger  has come up with a world map that shows what traits different nationalities are especially known for. It's called "The Prejudice Map,"  but it seems more like a catalog of stereotypes and clichés to us. But seeing as how such stereotypes can lead to prejudice, we can probably let that slide. How does it work you ask? Well, its creator has simply put the phrase "Germans are known for *" into Google and the the search engine has done the rest. SPIEGEL ONLINE turned that tactic against Google itself and found out that the Web site is known for its relaxed corporate culture, simplicity and frequently changing its ranking methods.

Blogging Climate Change

Are greenhouse gases really causing the earth to heat up? What about this latest research about how melting polar ice might be shutting down the Gulf Stream  in the Atlantic Ocean? There's plenty of hot air out there in cyberspace on climate change at the moment. But what do the experts have to say? Well, now you can check out the blog of climate scientists working in the field.

According to the people behind the Web site RealClimate , they "aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary." But don't expect them to get into trashing US President George Bush for his decision to shun the Kyoto Treaty: "The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science."

Planning the Holocaust

This week sees the opening of a new permanent exhibition at the House of the Wannsee Conference  in time for the anniversary of the infamous discussion  of the Final Solution on January 20th.