Type "do a barrel roll" into Google, click search, and your browser window will do a 360-degree spin.

It's a geeky reference to Nintendo's Star Fox series, in which a wise old rabbit named Peppy (an intergalactic fighter pilot) advises your character to avoid enemy fire by pulling said maneuver.

You can get the same fun Google tricks effect by typing "z or r twice" in reference to the controller buttons you'd press in the game. 

2. It's a word nerd!

Google "anagram" and the search engine will suggest "nag a ram."

Very cute.

3. It can read images!

Looking for something specific, but don't have the right keywords to describe it?

This is one of the more useful fun Google tricks.

You can "reverse image search" at images.google.com by clicking the camera icon, uploading an image, and then getting results of pictures that look similar.

(Make sure you're okay with your photos floating around the web first.)

4. It speaks secret languages!

On the top of your Google homepage, hit the nine squares at the top and go to My Account.

Scroll to the bottom to find Language & Input Tools under Account Preferences. 

You can change your language to fun ways of speaking like Muppets (Bork, bork, bork!), Elmer Fudd (Ewmew Fudd), Klingon, and pirate. For instance, with that last one you'll find "moorr" instead of "more."

5. It can boost brainpower!

ZDNet offers a handy tip to sift through university research: first type "site:edu" to limit the query to educational institutions, then try "intitle:" before your topic.

For example, site:edu intitle:"American magazines" brings up results from Harvard, the University of Michigan, and more. You can also search get results from a specific website a similar way.

6. It likes to get specific!

Thought "once in a blue moon" was just a vague expression? Not according to Google.

Search that phrase and you'll get a very specific frequency: 1.16699016 × 10-8 hertz.

It's a play off the fact that blue moons happen every 2.71 years.

Did you know these facts about Google? Let us know in the comments!

Written by Damon Beres. This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.