Google is known to ask the following question in job interviews: In a country in which people only want boys every family continues to have children until they have a boy. If they have a girl, they have another child. If they have a boy, they stop. What is the proportion of boys to girls in the country? Think you know the answer? If so, Steve Landsburg may be willing to bet you up to $5000. [more inside]
posted by gsteff on Jan 1, 2011 - 279 comments

Google awards $10 million for “world changing” ideas. [more inside]
posted by Babblesort on Sep 27, 2010 - 46 comments

I get a cut of your good Karma if you win. So Google has committed $10 million to fund up to five ideas selected by their advisory board.What's the kicker? Anyone can submit an idea. [more inside]
posted by hal_c_on on Sep 24, 2008 - 22 comments

The Dark Side of Google? Google's first annual programming contest was a shrewd way to encourage Java and Python programmers. But this may be shrewder than the programmers who entered the contest realized. David Egnor may have nabbed a cool $10,000 as the contest winner, but for all the other entries, Google nabbed "worldwide, perpetual, fully paid-up, nonexclusive" rights.
posted by ed on May 31, 2002 - 14 comments

Googled for goofing. College kid outlandishly fakes contest submission, winning token prize for a valiant, if not silly, effort.
posted by paddy on Aug 30, 2001 - 14 comments