How many letters are in the Bible? What existed before the Big Bang? Which French restaurant at Hamburg harbor is recommended? Where can the cheapest flights to Mallorca be found? Anyone with these or any other conceivable question can send an SMS describing the problem to 37000 and receive a qualified answer within a few minutes, also by SMS. Previously, the phone-a-friend lifeline existed only on television; the new SMS Guru service is now available to anyone with a mobile phone.
Several unusual questions were asked during testing: How often does Bart say “Ay Caramba” across every episode of The Simpsons? How large was the little toe on Goethe’s right foot? The knowledge team does not answer questions through internet research alone. To maintain quality, the service uses experts in many disciplines, ranging from a mathematics specialist and walking sports encyclopedia to a widely read literature expert, celebrity specialist, and economist. Applicants must pass a rigorous test to join the team. Only around 20% pass the “Guru exam” and are admitted to handle consumer inquiries.
No prior registration is required. Each answer costs €1.99 and is charged on the next telephone bill. Anyone determined to test the service can send a particularly difficult brainteaser and await the result.
Incidentally, the Bible consists of 66 books with 1,189 chapters, 31,171 verses, and 738,765 words. These in turn consist of 4,410,133 letters.
Further Links:
- SMS Guru
