• About
    • About the FIA
    • Priorities
    • Our Team
    • Brainstorming Board
    • Partners and Affiliates
    • Contact Us
  • News + Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Videos
    • Newsletters
    • @FIAumd
    • In the Media
  • Spark Grants
    • Spark Grants Overview
    • Spark Grants FAQ
    • 2012-2015 Seed Grants
    • 2012-2015 Seed Grant Winners
  • Special Topics
    • SearchReSearch
    • Curated Topics
FIA

SearchReSearch

SearchResearch Challenge (2/8/23): What do you call this thing?

Dan Russell • February 8, 2023
 SearchReSearch
Republished with permission from SearchReSearch
SearchResearch Challenge (2/8/23): What do you call this thing? Dan Russell

I was in Rome, Italy the other day...


... (it's a long story, trust me)...

... but while there, I saw this thing hanging from the ceiling of a party tent. The strange thing was that at this location there were 3 more inside the tent, and 4 more of these hanging outside in the garden, all suspended about 12 feet (4 meters) above the ground from tree limbs. They're clearly decorative somethings, but what?

This is a pretty straightforward Challenge this week, but it requires a wonderfully classical approach to search. Try it, and you'll see what I mean.

1. What does one call the hanging thing in the above image? The topmost ring about 6 feet across (2 meters) while the bottom ring is about 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter.

The color here isn't great, but the rings are covered in green leaves and vines. For the record, I saw more of these things in different places around Rome, always in festive spaces such as al fresco dining patios and the like, so I know there must be a place where people go to purchase them.

But if you went into a store, what would you ask for? And, for bonus points, what kind of store would you visit to buy this... thing?

As always, be sure to tell us what your thought process was in figuring this out. Let us know in the comments.

I'll tell you my search process next week, along with all of the sidetracks and misses along the way.


Search on!


P.S. I'll get around to the "how to search on a schedule" problem from 2 weeks ago. Turns out that I am really busy at the moment and the answer requires a bit of time to writeup. I'll get to it: promise.


Share

Comments

This post was republished. Comments can be viewed and shared via the original site.
31 comments

About the Author

Dan RussellDan Russell

I study the way people search and research. I guess that makes me an anthropologist of search. While I work at Google, my blog and G+ posts reflects my own thoughts and not those of my employer. I am FIA's Future-ist in Residence. More »

Recent News

  • Deepfakes and the Future of Facts
    Deepfakes and the Future of FactsSeptember 27, 2019
  • Book cover for Joy of Search by Daniel M. Russell
    The Joy of Search: A Google Insider’s Guide to Going Beyond the BasicsSeptember 26, 2019
  • The Future of Facts in a ‘Post-Truth’ World
    The Future of Facts in a ‘Post-Truth’ WorldMay 15, 2018
  • The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive Storytelling
    The Future of Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive StorytellingJune 6, 2017

More »

Upcoming Events

There are no upcoming events scheduled. Please check back later.
Event Archive »
Video Archive »

Join Email List

SearchReSearch

  • Answer: What do these everyday symbols mean?
    Answer: What do these everyday symbols mean?March 15, 2023
  • SearchResearch Challenge (3/8/23): What do these everyday symbols mean?
    SearchResearch Challenge (3/8/23): What do these everyday symbols mean?March 8, 2023
  • PSA:  Read Clive Thompson’s article about how he does research
    PSA: Read Clive Thompson’s article about how he does researchMarch 3, 2023
  • Answer: World’s largest waterfall?
    Answer: World’s largest waterfall?March 2, 2023

More »

University of Maryland logo
Robert W. Deutsch Foundation logo
Google logo
Barrie School
Library of Congress logo
State of Maryland logo
National Archives logo
National Geographic Society logo
National Park Service logo
Newseum logo
Sesame Workshop logo
Smithsonian logo
WAMU
© 2023 The Future of Information Alliance, University of Maryland | Privacy Policy | Web Accessibility