Taken in aggregate, the billions of online searches we make every day say a lot about our most private thoughts and biases. Taken in aggregate, the billions of online searches we make every day say a lot about our most private thoughts and biases. When we have a question about something embarrassing or deeply personal, many of us don't turn to a parent or a friend, but to our computers: We ask Google our questions. As millions of us look for answers to questions, or things to buy, or places to meet friends, our searches produce a map of our collective hopes, fears, and desires. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, a former data scientist at Google, analyzes the information we leave behind on search engines, social media, and even pornography sites.