Scientists believe people’s Google searches could provide the key to tracking the effects of climate change.
Did you know that what you ask the largest search engine on the web can provide valuable information to those trying to track what is happening to our planet?
No, don’t have to search for pasta recipes or cats in various predicaments – people’s questions about ticks can yield important insights into populations and their movements, indicators about climate change.
It is common in recent years to assume that climate change will produce more ticks and flea diseases in northern countries like Denmark.
However, current knowledge about how tick-borne diseases are spread is limited.
According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), more monitoring is needed for ticks and other vector-borne diseases – in part to measure the impacts of climate change, as well as monitor the spread of diseases such as Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.
According to Per Moestrup Jensen, an associate professor of botany and the environment at the University of Copenhagen, according to Per Moestrup Jensen, an associate professor of botany and the environment at the University of Copenhagen.
“The IPCC says we need monitoring. But where can we get it?” he say.
“Usually, you drag a stick with a flag on the ground and count how many ticks are on the flag.
“On a clear day, we might be able to test 1000 square feet. But there’s no way for us to go out and collect ticks on a similar scale to surveillance. Google Trends provides a shortcut. .”
He was part of a team of researchers that extracted data on when in five Danes and the populations of nine other European countries had searched for the word “tick” for more than ten years.
By matching their findings with weather data, they analyzed whether Google searches matched seasonal patterns of ticks in specific places and corresponding climate variations. or not.
The duration of the tick activity depends on the temperature.
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Professor Jensen said the fact that many people bitten by ticks search for it on Google allows researchers to see where in the world they are being searched and when.
“Looking across Europe, there’s a very clear correlation between people’s ticking Google searches and local temperature changes.
“It confirms our belief about seasonal patterns of ticks.”
He added: “So here’s a claim: If you’ve been bitten by a tick and find yourself unsure of anything, look it up online.
“You’re bound to discover a lot of useful information. Because at the same time, you’ll help advance scientific research.”
The study was published in the journal Insects.
