# Why didn't the search function find this thread?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-search-function-find-this-thread/324470>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [October 2, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-search-function-find-this-thread/324470 "2005-10-02T18:26:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-search-function-find-this-thread/324470/1 "2005-10-02T18:26:41Z")

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I was looking for the original “scalar weapons” thread that spawned the catchphrase “Ah, they’re 1920s-style death rays”.

I searched for threads from “any date” in GQ with “scalar” in the title and only got one hit. The hit does indeed fit the criteria but so does the one I was actually looking for - [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=202225](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=202225)

Are some threads just not indexed by the search DB?

Aside: as a suggestion, how about a sticky in ATMB with “seminal” threads in SD history? I know this is subjective (pan-fried semen? “Ask the…” ?) but it would be a great place to refer newcomers to.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-search-function-find-this-thread/324470/2 "2005-10-02T19:21:46Z")

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> [@DarrenS](#):
>
> I searched for threads from “any date” in GQ with “scalar” in the title and only got one hit.

I just did a GQ search for ‘scalar’, any date, and got 83 hits.  
The first GQ thread containing the word dates from 8/99: [Should Pluto be a Planet?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=4913&highlight=scalar)

Perhaps you searched on a bad day? It does seem to go funky sometimes.

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**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-search-function-find-this-thread/324470/3 "2005-10-02T20:13:17Z")

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> [@Squink](#):
>
> I just did a GQ search for ‘scalar’, any date, and got 83 hits.  
> The first GQ thread containing the word dates from 8/99: [Should Pluto be a Planet?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=4913&highlight=scalar)
> 
> Perhaps you searched on a bad day? It does seem to go funky sometimes.

_In the title_ ?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-the-search-function-find-this-thread/324470/4 "2005-10-02T21:55:03Z")

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> [@DarrenS](#):
>
> _In the title_ ?

Nope :smack:  
When I do that, I just get the one about scalar hearing aids.