Web shows up the weird and wonderful

The internet truly is a remarkable thing. As a source for the facts on ham sandwich digestion or euthanasia for tropical fish, it cannot be surpassed.

To provide an insight into the quest for knowledge sparked by the cyber revolution, MSN, Microsoft's net portal, has compiled a list of the search terms that only a handful of people, in some cases only one, have sought. Among the subjects are zebra racing, walking-stick making and the rules of toe wrestling or naked petanque – not to mention walking with woodlice, monkey origami, the Queen's Blue Peter badges, black-pudding throwing or houses for hedgehogs. The most frequent inquiries were on the Sars virus, war in Iraq, David Beckham and the singer Avril Lavigne.

The research showed that most people browsing the Web were looking for gossip on soap stars, pop singers and footballers. Robin Lellet, marketing manager of MSN Search, said: "Our chart provides a fascinating sneak peek into people's weird and wacky interests and proves we really are a nation of eccentrics."