the buzz log

A Mummy on Exhibit

On this day that celebrates the discovery of King Tut's tomb, many are wondering about all things "Tut," including the fabled pharaoh's curse.

Let's review. The boy king's tomb was discovered back in 1922 and launched the modern field of Egyptology. In the '70s, the first exhibit of the perfectly preserved mummified remains went on tour in the U.S. Tutmania ensued. Cue "King Tut" song.

Now that Tut is back for another world tour 30 years later, searches on the Web for the ancient Egyptian teen have surged. In the last seven days, "king tut curse" soared over 200%. Lookups on the Web for "king tut," "king tut exhibit," and "history of king tut" have also increased.

Here's the story behind the curse. Rumors abounded after the archeologist who funded the mummy hunt, Lord Carnarvon, died a few short months after viewing the newly discovered tomb. All sorts of theories, none proven, gave rise to a "pharaoh's curse:" certain death for those who dared disturb a tomb.

Of course, many others who had also visited the tomb didn't die, and Carnavorn suffered from bad health. Still, even National Geographic couldn't resist trotting out some scientific explanations: Sealed tombs have often contained toxic bacteria and mold that could cause people with compromised immune systems to get sick. Another theory is that certain toxins were left near the door to punish those who broke into the tomb.

Still, no danger lies in actually seeing the museum exhibit, which is on tour through the end of the year. For a guy who's been dead for 3,000 years, King Tut sure gets around.

Filed under: Archaeology, Egypt

Recession? What recession? If you ask us, the tremendous number of Web searches on "black friday deals 2009" are an indicator that the holiday shopping season may be a very profitable one for retailers.

For those who don't know, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, during which stores across the country try to one-up each other with outrageous sales. This being early November, the big day is still weeks away, but aggressive shoppers are already scoping out the various deals.

Over the past week, we've seen big Search bumps on "black friday 2009," "black friday ads," and "black friday rumors 2009." And indeed, there are a lot of rumors floating around. Some blogs predict an epic battle between Wal-Mart and Amazon. Others wonder if the Sears ad has anything worth fighting the crowds for. Also buzzing: Best Buy's "VIP contest."

We have no idea which store will offer the best deals to groggy shoppers, but we can safely predict that the searches are only going to get bigger. Buyer beware...