The technological adventures of my retired parents are a great source of inspiration and material for me. I take considerable delight seeing two, traditionally technology-adverse folks embracing gadgets to improve their lives, but it can also deliver great amusement, particularly when seeing the world of technology through their understanding of how life previously worked.

Dad, who is now rarely seen on rainy days without his trusty tablet computer was demonstrating the power of the Google search engine to answer every question he could throw at it – from the current weather in Steeple Ashton, to how long it would take them to drive to Cornwall in real-time traffic.

Taking some time to digest what she saw, Mum asked a very logical and unwittingly hilarious question – just how many people did Google have answering Dad’s questions, and how were they able to do it so quickly? Having unwittingly inhaled half a gallon of coffee, I explained that people weren’t directly asking his question.

Instead, Google relies on increasingly sophisticated technology and a series of constantly evolving mathematical formulae to deliver information by trawling the billions of webpages and the hundreds and thousands of different services connected to the internet.

Not unrelated to Mum’s question, Google is increasingly replacing the advice of the older, wiser sibling or the sage best friend. In 2014, love appears to be on our mind, as the most commonly asked question is ‘How to kiss?’ and the most common translation is ‘How to say I love you in French?’ Google is also showing how to be creative, with people asking questions about how to crochet, draw or knit.

I’ve got to be honest, I still enjoy asking Dad a question. Despite knowing I can get a 100 per cent accurate answer from Google, I’d rather take the journey to enlightenment with my old man, even when he gets it confused.