Google shows a random answer on Quora as a highlighted 'quick answer' on top of the results page

And this isn't just for this query alone. This happens for many queries. What makes this answer on Quora the most correct/helpful/useful for this particular query? Did Google vet the completeness and/or the correctness of this health-related answer given by a random Quora user? Why is this answer better than the far more authentic and professional answers available on the websites of hospitals, universities, journals, etc.? Someone might interpret Google's 'quick answers box' as an authoritative answer recommended by Google itself, and this answer could in fact be completely wrong, and this could lead to health problems, or worse, death(s)!

Update [Apr'19]: Similarly, it can be seen in the screenshot below that Google says there are currently 15 member nations in OPEC, whereas on the Wikipedia article you can see only 14 [Qatar left OPEC on 1st January this year, unknown to Google's algorithms]. The way Google's SERP has highlighted the number '15 nations' makes the user feel like it's the final, authentic answer needing no further checking. Pretty irresponsible I must say.

Google fails to show a single result for the instrument periscope for a search on 'periscope'

This was something I used to think and wonder for many years. Will a day come when search engines will get so swamped with populist technology such as smartphones, applications, games, etc., that fundamental and scientific terms would get overshadowed in SERPs with these "cool" results? Will future students be bombarded with more of this cool and commercial "juice" rather than core mathematical and scientific concepts?

Yesterday, Google did not show even one result for the periscope instrument on its SERP for the query periscope. Thankfully, Bing and Yandex still show some results for the instrument.

 

UPDATE [DEC'15]: The same story repeats for the query tumbler.

Bing changes 35 to 3.5, effectively ruining the entire SERP

Lizol is not the same as Dettol - but Google substitutes one for the other, quietly

Look at my query and see which words Google has highlighted in its top two results. Why does Google think that Lizol is the same as Dettol? Isn't this tantamount to misinformation? Or does Google intend to say that Lizol really is Dettol, but it's just that us lesser humans didn't realize this as yet?

Google, when I search for AliExpress, I don't want you to substitute this word for Alibaba!

It's kind of audacious of Google to quietly substitute the word AliExpress for Alibaba.

Google conveniently shows results for "rocket launch" for the query "missile launch"

Google, a missile launch is different from a rocket launch - don't mix these. North Korea's fate depends on the difference between a missile and a rocket!

Google gives preference to its own services

For the query 2 nights in soul valley, which is a movie, Google's top result - which looks suspiciously similar to an organic result - is actually an artificially-promoted result for Google's own service. This could be illegal.

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28-May-2019

Another recent example from 26-May-19. Top result directs to Google's own paid services.

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Google fails for its apology for results for queries containing the word "Jew"

I searched for Jew York Times, and I saw an apology from Google about the search results.

"We're disturbed about these results as well."

I find it interesting that Google apologizes to the world for offensive results that appear when a query contains the term Jew. But offensive is a very relative term. I get offended when I see results telling me that there were WMDs in Iraq, and that based on this fabricated and false propaganda a sovereign nation and its people were bombed back to the stone age. I get offended when I see unending China-bashing in Google's search results. I even get offended when I see that Google apologizes for offensive results for queries containing the word Jew, but does not apologize when there are so many other instances when Google shows highly offensive results.

This is one major fail for Google.

Just noticed that other people have also condemned this Jew-favoritism of Google.

KLM ticket search fails for providing one way fare that is higher than two way fare

Who will pay SGD ~258 for a one way ticket from Singapore to Bali when you can buy a return ticket for SGD ~252? Just don't show up for the return flight. This is clearly an example of a failed search and a failed booking system at KLM.

Google promotes the Android version of a game in search results and severely demotes the iOS version

Today I was playing the nice game SimplePhysics on an iPad borrowed from a friend. I liked the game quite a lot and wondered if it was available for Windows. I went to Google and queried simplephysics. I saw an eye-catchy link to the Android version of this game as the top result, complete with user ratings icons, price, and 'Android' mentioned to catch the user's attention. I wondered where in the ranking did the iOS version of the same game stood. Amazingly, it was the last result on the ninth page, that is, it was ranked #90 by Google - and it had no information such as price, ratings, etc. Is all of this a coincidence? I doubt. Interestingly, Bing shows both the iOS and Android links on its first page.