If we are what we Google, then Google Hot Trends — an hourly rundown of search terms “that experience sudden surges in popularity” — is the Web’s best cultural barometer. Here’s a sampling of today’s top searches. (Rankings on Hot Trends list current as of 10 a.m.)
No. 10: “world’s smallest deer.” The world’s smallest deer is just one of 353 new species discovered in the Eastern Himalayas in the past decade, according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund. The adult “leaf deer” measures just 20 inches tall, weighs 25 pounds, and was discovered in 1999 by American researchers. The staggering biological diversity of the Eastern Himalayas, estimated to host 10,000 plant species, is due to its location at the confluence of two continental plates . Naturally, the region is being threatened by logging and agriculture.
No. 12: “red dawn.” A remake of the ‘80s action flick Red Dawn is slated to pit a team of American high schoolers called the Wolverines against Russian and Chinese invaders when it’s released in 2010. Sparking a Google trend today is news that Tom Cruise’s 14 year-old adopted son, Connor, has been cast in the film . Last year, Connor made his big-screen debut in the Will Smith film Seven Pounds .
No. 36: “angelina breastfeeding statue.” Not too much to say about this Daniel Edwards sculpture of a silver, nude Angelina Jolie breast-feeding one black baby and one white baby. Happy Monday.
