Personal Breathalizer

An Hypothesis Based on Searches for a Personal Breathalizer

January 7, 2008 on 8:22 am | In Personal Breathalizer

Present-day English teachers must face a real challenge. They might need to grade an essay by a young man who has spent time looking for information on a personal breathalizer. Because he has been rewarded with some information, he may well have missed the suggestion to use an alternate spelling. Such a young man will no doubt be quite confused, if he sees a red mark over his mention on any essay of a “personal breathalizer.” The teacher might then find it necessary to conduct her own search, and to thus discover the varied spellings that young student drinkers use.

If one were to make a careful study of the search words entered by Internet users wanting information on a personal breathalizer, one could find the basis for an interesting hypothesis. Such a study could well lead someone to hypothesize that the consumption of alcohol can lower one’s aptitude at spelling. At least this much is clear from the response of one search engine: A user of the personal breathalizer does not improve his or her spelling skills.

In fact, when an Internet user enters the word “personal breathalizer” into the proper box on the web site of ask.com, one gets a short list of suggested sites with valuable information. Yet the response on ask.com indicates that the user would get more information by entering a different spelling: “personal breathalyzer.” By the same token, an examination of the web sites on the ask.com list discloses the acknowledgement of yet a third possible spelling.

After an examination of the first 5 to 6 suggested web sites, the Internet user searching on ask.com for information on a personal breathalizer will discover a web site where there is no mention of a personal breathalizer. There are, however, a few words of advice on the use of personal breathalisers. So if alcohol has caused one’s brain to forget the proper spelling for a personal breathalyzer, one can still use a search engine to retrieve quite a bit of information.

Interestingly, the spelling submitted to the search engine appears to determine the nature of the information that leads the list of web sites supplied by ask.com. If one enters the word “personal breathalizer,” one finds information on the AlcoTester at the top of the ask.com list. That information assures the Internet user access to “cutting edge technology.”

The manufacturers of the AlcoTester point out the absence of a need for calibration service on its breathalizers. They claim that the user must just change the sensor, in the same way that one would change a battery in a flashlight. Any questions will apparently be answered by the 24/7 telephone support line.

An Internet user who enters the word “personal breathalyzer” will find that the AlcoHawk is the first device mentioned on the list provided by ask.com. That device promises one button operation. It also claims to calculate both the breath alcohol content and the blood alcohol content.

While ask.com is quick to provide information to even poor spellers, it demands more intense searching from drinkers who might want to use certain medications. Yet with some effort, one can learn about lexapro and breathalizers. One soon discovers that it would be foolish to give a personal breathalizer to someone who was taking lexapro.

Such a slip-up could give the recipient brain disorders, and might even lead to seizures, aggression or other strange behavior.