Getting Closer to the Search Bar in Google

Nothing mind-boggling about this. Just an observation I made tonight….

Back in the day, getting an answer to a simple question in Google required the following steps:

1. Type query
2. Click ‘Search’
3. Scan results
4. Click best result
5. Find answer
   (sometimes the answer is in the results, making 4 and 5 unnecessary)

Question: What date did Facebook launch?
Answer: February 4, 2004

Then Google started giving answers above the search results, eliminating the need for you to leave the page or even look at the results.

Question: What’s the temperature outside right now?
Answer: 47°F

Now, for certain questions, I can get an answer without even looking outside the search bar.

Question: Who sings “I Want It That Way”?
Answer: Backstreet Boys

Is that the limit? Has Google brought answers as close to the search bar as they’re going to get?