Prank · April Fools
MentalPlex, Google's first April Fools' prank (2000)
On April 1, 2000, Google presented MentalPlex, a search that needed no typing: users just had to project a mental picture of what they wanted to find. It was the first of the company's yearly pranks.
There is no official image with documented origin for this record yet. The museum prefers showing no image to using one of uncertain origin.
History
MentalPlex's FAQ page said the system weighed more than 1.3 billion variables, from recent browsing to astrological configuration and brainwave activity, and that it did not read minds: it only detected electrical field variations caused by concentrated thought. Users who could not visualize clearly, or who were skeptical, might get poor results.
Google kept the page online with a note saying it was posted for April Fool's Day 2000. Guinness World Records lists MentalPlex as Google's first hoax. The tradition continued in later years, with PigeonRank in 2002.
Dates
What the sources say
| Claim | Record | Confidence | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | April 1, 2000 | 1 · Confirmed by independent sources | [1] primary[2] secondary |
| The promise | Search without typing, by projecting a mental picture of what you want to find Statement | 2 · Single primary source | [1] primary |
| Google's first prank | According to Guinness World Records | 3 · Secondary source | [2] secondary |
Historical captures
No archived capture has been located for this record yet.
Sources
- Google MentalPlex — Frequently Asked Questions (page archived by Google) — Google. Source primary · accessed November 2, 2026 · look for a copy on the Internet Archive
The page carries the note: posted for April 1, 2000. - First Google hoax — Guinness World Records. Source secondary · accessed November 2, 2026 · look for a copy on the Internet Archive
What still needs documenting
- Capture of the google.com home page on April 1, 2000
- Press coverage at the time
On GD
GD has followed Google since 2006. Search GD for “primeiro de abril” (in Portuguese)
How to cite
"MentalPlex, Google's first April Fools' prank (2000)", Google Museum (GD), https://gd.eurisko.com.br/museu/en/collection/mentalplex-2000/, CC BY 4.0. Reviewed on November 2, 2026.
ID: mentalplex-2000 · Reviewed on November 2, 2026