SearchResearch (2/4/26): Be careful about using image search--it hallucinates too! (But Google Lens is the best of the bunch) This month I'm teaching...  Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall at Yale ... at Yale University in New Haven, CT... that paragon of Collegiat...

Search-by-image is a key arrow in the researcher's quiver. Do they hallucinate? A: yes. Useful to know Google Lens is the best of the bunch. (And don't trust anyone's LLM.) #TheJoyofSearch #SearchResearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2026/02/sear...

Sensemaking 2026 Everything you need to know about the "Sensemaking and AI 2026: Uses, Behaviors, Design, and Recommendations " Workshop at CHI 2026 in Barcelona (Spain).

The practice of sensemaking is being profoundly changed by AI. We're happy to announce on all this at our workshop on "Sensemaking and AI 2026" to be held on the afternoon of April 13th at CHI2026 in Barcelona, Spain.You can find the CfP and all the information at Sensemaking2026.com

SearchResearch (1/22/26): Searching for insights with AI (NotebookLM for sensemaking) I have two really big interests these days...  ... sensemaking... (that is, how people search for and discover how to make sense of a comp...

How can you use NotebookLM to help with your complicated sensemaking tasks? Here are a few ways you can get an insight boost. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2026/01/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

SearchResearch Answer: Where / why / what is causing point source pollution of the Susquehanna? The SearchResearch world really is different now...  Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania (P/C Wikimedia) In a beautiful, unpolluted portion ...

Can an AI do a #SearchResearch Challenge? Answer: *mostly* -- but there's still a pivotal role for humans in understanding the answer and placing it into context. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2026/01/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch

Sensemaking is being profoundly changed by AI. Or is it? We're happy to announce our workshop on "Sensemaking and AI 2026" April 13-17 at CHI2026 in Barcelona, Spain. Workshops are NO COST-but you need a position paper to join us. You can find the CfP and all the information at Sensemaking2026.com

SearchResearch (1/7/26): Where / why / what is causing point source pollution of the Susquehanna? Even though it's beautiful...  Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania (P/C Wikimedia) ... troubles lie beneath the surface.   The mighty Susqueha...

What is that dramatic point-source of pollution on one of America's major rivers? Can you find it and tell me what color the river is? Trust me-it's dramatic. #SearchResearch #TheJoyOfSearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2026/01/sear...

SearchResearch (1/2/26): (UPDATE) A Review of the year at the SearchResearch Rancho Thank heavens for friends.   After yesterday's post, a friend emailed me to ask "why didn't you use the advanced  models of the LLMs?"  Fai...

A quick update on my previous post: I re-ran the summary generation with the latest/greatest/best models and found they mostly worked pretty well. (Very different than when using the default models.) Lesson learned: Use the latest models! searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2026/01/sear...

SearchResearch (12/31/25): Review of the year at the SearchResearch Rancho It's the day of the year when we look back...  ... at what we've done and review all of the accomplishments (and potentially any issues tha...

Year-end summary of #SearchResearch.. and the difficulty of getting an AI to create it. Good news, I found a great solution and I show how you can do it as well. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2026/01/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch

SearchResearch (12/24/25): Living in an AI world that kinda, sorta works for OCR Let's return to the tea...  As you recall from our previous episodes, we found a way to use AI to scan an image looking for the names of di...

Still contemplating AI-assisted OCR for your bookshelves?
Here's a post that will help with some tested heuristics.
searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/12/sear...

SearchResearch (12/17/25): Control-F for reality--when it works / when it doesn't work What do you do with too much tea?  [a massive amount of tea pour from a large flowery cup]  P/C Gemini Answer: Spill it, obviously.   I was ...

When CAN you use an image to search for items on a shelf. It works for books,but it's not so great for finding your favorite tea at the grocery.In this post,we explore when Control-F for reality works, when it doesn't, and how to work around the limits. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/12/sear...

SearchResearch Method: Control-F for reality (finding books on your shelves) Ever lose a book on your shelves?  I spent an hour tearing my personal library apart in a desperate search.  Ever happen to you? You know, ...

Ever lose a book on the shelves at home? Here's a new and simple method to find your own books on your bookshelves at home. Truly magical. Check it out: searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/11/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

Answer: How good is AI at recognizing images? What should you know? Search by image is powerful...  Remarkable desserts. What are they?  .... but you need to know what it can do (reliably) and what it can't ...

How reliable is AI-augmented seach-by-image? Not very, turns out. Here are a few examples of major screw-ups in doing what should have been simple image searches. Be careful using these tools! searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/11/answ... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

SearchResearch (11/13/25): How good is AI at recognizing images? What should you know? Recognizing images is an impressive AI feat.  But...  Remarkable desserts. What are they?  .... it's true that the state of the art of imag...

How good is AI-powered image search these days? This week we'll try it out on a few pix and discover what's working (and NOT working). In some cases, it will amaze you. In others, not so much. #SearchResearch #TheJoyOfSearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/11/sear...

SearchResearch (11/5/25): Pro tips on using AI for deep research A few friends...  Gemini's conception of [hyperrealistic image of scholar doing deep research]. Not sure it's hyperrealistic, but definitely...

How can you do effective Deep Research online? There are a few things you need to know. Tip one: you can direct the AI to search for highly credible content. Keep searching, my friends. #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/11/sear...

SearchResearch (10/29/25): The 1 trick you need to know to use AI for deeper, better reading I absolutely adore...  P.G. Wodehouse.  P/C Wikimedia ... the writings of P. G. Wodehouse.  Whenever I need a lift in the old spirits, I pl...

A great tip for reading and understanding texts more deeply. Here's a great way to get the inside meaning of obscure words and phrases... searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/10/sear... #searchresearch #thejoyofsearch

SearchResearch (10/24/25): The shifting of SearchResearch I've noticed a subtle shift.   The longer I write this blog, SearchResearch, the more changes I see.  Content on the web changes, the tools...

If you enjoy my weekly #SearchResearch posts, you probably want to know that SRS is going to shift a bit--not so many tips and tricks, but more deep online research lessons and sensemaking skills. Enjoy the new SRS! searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/10/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

Answer: How can the same locust look so different? It's difficult to understand...  Rocky Mountain locust. P/C  Wikimedia ... how variable the appearance of an animal might be.  In this cas...

An answer to how can the same organism look so different! Much more common than you might have thought. Learn how (and learn how to find out). searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/10/answ... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

SearchResearch Challenge (10/8/25): How can the same locust look so different? It's difficult to understand...  Rocky Mountain locust. P/C Wikimedia ... how variable the appearance of an animal might be.   Sure, people ...

How can animals be so different within a single species? Biologists have confused two different forms as separate species...but how does this happen? That's the Challenge this week. Can you help us figure it out?
searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/10/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

Answer: What's the story with the greenhouses? Greenhouses...   ... come in two types--decorative (the ones with beautiful orchids and flowers for visitors to see) and functional ones (...

And the answer to last week's Challenge about greenhouses, robots, and vertical farming. Pro tip: learn to iterate on your queries (and your prompts) for efficient researching. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/10/answ... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

SearchResearch Challenge (9/24/25): What's the story with greenhouses? I've seen lots of these odd constructions...  ... from the air.   They're greenhouses; a common sight as you fly over agricultural lands.   ...

Greenhouses? They're so ordinary, but what's growing in them? Why so many? Come join the #SearchResearch Challenge and see what you can learn about them. #TheJoyOfSearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/09/sear...

Today's #SearchResearch post is about setting up AI-powered summaries of news you need to know (on the topic of your choosing). Read how to do it! No-code. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/09/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch

Finding 19th century immersive technology takes a bit of ingenuity. Find out how we found a complete AR system from the 1800s. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/09/answ... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

A short video about the Coffee Sniffers (a test video summary) ... so... I thought I'd try a little experiment with NotebookLM's video overview...     I created a Notebook and then gave it the text of my...

I used NotebookLM to make an overview video of one of my #SearchResearch blog posts. Happy to report it did a really good job. Check it out on the link below. Is there a way you might use this in your educational journey? #TheJoyofSearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-sh...

SearchResearch Challenge (9/3/25): What kind of art is this? While wandering around downtown Lucerne, Switzerland...  A section of the painting showing the disarmament of the soldiers. P/C Wikimedia ....

Even in the AI age, we still need to keep up our basic online research skills. Stretch yourself a bit--can you find out what this particular kind of artwork is called, and whether or not you can still see one near you? searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/09/sear... #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

Answer: Best ways to do just-in-time learning. Part 3: getting a teaching summary with NotebookLM Last time...  A woman studying a complex anatomy topic. P/C Pexels.com by  RF._.studio _        we talked about asking your favorite LLM t...

When you need to learn something quickly (and accurately), try using NotebookLM as an autodidactic aid. Learn how to power up your learning. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/08/answ... #theJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch

Answer: Best ways to do just-in-time learning. Part 2: conversation with a chatbot As mentioned...  A woman studying a complex anatomy topic. P/C Pexels.com by  RF._.studio _        There are a huge number of methods to ...

Part 2 of our series--Methods to learn something rapidly. Chatbots to teach you a specific topic can be remarkable. Try it out! #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/08/answ...

Answer: Best ways to do just-in-time learning. Part 1. What's a great way to...  A woman studying a complex anatomy topic. P/C Pexels.com by  RF._.studio _ ... learn something relatively quick...

There are lots of ways to power-up your learning with modern search and AI methods. Here's part 1 of a series of posts about how you can target your personal learning more effectively. #theJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/08/answ...

Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American history museum A temporary placard, on display since 2021, described the president's historic impeachments. Officials said the exhibit was restored to an earlier version following a review of legacy content.

This is a classic memory hole method. And if you don't know what a memory hole is, you need to read 1984 as quickly as possible. It's rapidly becoming our present reality. See also the push to have the Smithsonian remove any mention of Trump's impeachment. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

SearchResearch Challenge (8/6/25): Best ways to do just-in-time learning? It happens constantly...  P/C Pexels.com by  RF._.studio _ ... maybe it happens constantly to you too.   I suddenly need to learn something...

What do you do when you need to learn something about a topic as quickly as possible? What methods do you use? That's the point of this week's #SearchResearch Challenge. Tell us what you do, and I'll summarize next week. searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/08/sear... #theJoyOfSearch

Answer: Wake up and smell the 19th century coffee? Interesting challenge...  An AI generated image that's intentionally slightly misleading.  (So don't waste time mining this image for clues....

This week's answer: You can use an LLM to answer the Challenge, but there are still reasons to know how to do the search on your own. #TheJoyOfSearch #SearchResearch searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2025/07/answ...