Former NASA roboticist turned webcomic author of the insanely geeky xkcd has come up with a survey, and it is a survey like no other. Created in the form of a simple Google Docs, it filled with the weirdest sort of questions you’re ever likely to find on an online survey, like whether or not you’ve ever run out of gas in your car, if you eat condiments out of the fridge as a snack, and if you like emoji (I’m really hoping those last two are related). Not just that, Munroe also wants to know how you feel about food, if you will write the word “cat,” and your favorite number on a scale of 1 to 5.
Actually, what xkcd has done is create a survey without a purpose. Well, there’s the loose goal of generating interesting and unusual responses: the survey is just trying to collect random information from as many people as possible, and then find unlikely correlations. The more people who take it, the more data points there are to amuse ourselves with — and it shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes.
The questions are straightforward, or strange, or non-sequitur. It is the less insane, less nihilistic cousin of a Clickhole quiz. And, Given Monroe’s previous masterpieces, we just can’t wait to find out what he does with the survey once we have all filled it up.
Go take it right here, in the interest of science. It shouldn’t take you too long, with the added benefit that the Google Doc format means that if your boss peeks over your shoulder, he just might think you are hard at work.
Maybe that’s all Munroe wants.