Wolfram Alpha
Okay, I know this is just a link and I know this is technology related but Wolfram Alpha is a new search engine by the makers of Mathematica and it looks like just about the coolest thing since the earth began. Seriously, I was laughing out loud from excitement as I watched thing. And I have a big shit eating grin on my face. The guy just keeps on going!
I am so excited I can barely contain myself. OMG!
Check it out! The actual search engine isn't live for me yet, but I can't wait!
16 May 2009 02:36am UTC • 305 views • 9 comments
Tagged with technology, search, wolframalpha, excited
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9 comments
John
16 May 2009 06:52pm UTC
I was excited too - until I actually used it. A very small percentage of my searches worked, and those that did were completely uninteresting, like "piano," which basically told me it was a musical instrument. Searches like "world population in 1800" gave no result
Dread Pirate Benjamin
17 May 2009 05:06am UTC
Yeah, I got frustrated by it too. My ultimate conclusion was that it had a bunch of data on things that I just wasn't that curious about.
I am still very impressed by it. I wish they had more of "you searched for X", here are TONS of examples of searches that might not even be remotely related to that. And then just have 100s upon 100s of possibly related searches. Their example pages weren't enough. I felt like I didn't know how to word my queries the right way.
Peon Peetie
18 May 2009 01:54pm UTC
of my ten or so searches, three of them turned up anything good. one was phi, which mathematica knows a lot about. another was neil young, which only gave his birthday, birthplace, and full name (which is neil young). i forget the third, or maybe i was exaggerating.
either way, it looks like this will be great if you ask it what it already knows. the google style of search, however, will remain my choice for a while. if google knows what you want, it gives it to you straight (search "aapl" and it'll show you everything wolfram does). but if it doesn't know, it guesses based on the zillions of pages it's indexed.
i'm excited to see what it can do, but they may consider changing it to wolframverybeta.com
Peon Peetie
18 May 2009 02:27pm UTC
hahaha i just tried a few more, and aside from "3000 digits of pi" (for kicks), it didn't understand anything i tried:
popular names
best mobile device
pollution china
pollution china usa (though this one told me to try the one above it)
email security
wolfram beta
this (it actually understood this one... gave me a definition and a frequency chart)
Peon Peetie
18 May 2009 02:34pm UTC
and a search for "leopard" only shows results about a cat. no operating system. i know wolfram doesn't like mac (or wait... was that just marlow...), but come on!
Boatswain The Fool
19 May 2009 05:25am UTC
Wolfram Alpha does have some redeeming qualities, though.
Dread Pirate Benjamin
19 May 2009 05:36am UTC
My favorite so far: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?!
(via Omer)
Boatswain The Fool
19 May 2009 05:46am UTC
(via Wired comments)
Peon Peetie
19 May 2009 02:11pm UTC
courtesy of ryan! mason