If you didn't visit Google's home page today, you are missing out on the Alessandro Volta Doodle. Alessandro Volta invented the battery and the Google logo is a bit electric, to say the least. So much so that one searcher complained in the Google Web Search Help forums that it "caused an immediate migraine" for her and is seriously concerned it may lead to some people having seizures.
Emileigh Starbrook, the searcher who complained, wrote:
...and it is very possible it could cause an epileptic seizure in someone who is more sensitive to it than I am. (On a scale of 1 to 10 I'm a 2-3.)You really need to take it down and I would recommend in the future if you have flashing lights it should first be screened by appropriate medical personnel.
The Epilepsy Foundation writes that for "about 3 percent of people with epilepsy, exposure to flashing lights at certain intensities or to certain visual patterns can trigger seizures." The condition is known as photosensitive epilepsy or PSE, which is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.
I wonder if Google can be sued for harming someone's health or even worse, leading to death by triggering a seizure in someone?
To see the full size Google Doodle that potentially/allegedly can trigger a seizure, see our original story from this morning.
Forum discussion at Google Web Search Help.
