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Another Google Buster? - Meet Wolfram Alpha


Reaganaut

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http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6307744.ece

http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Fairly interesting video of what it is good at:

http://www48.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html

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I assume this isn't really news to people on the Tailgate who are pretty tuned into the Internet and the rest of the world.

I have been active on the Internet since the first Netscape hit the market in the mid-1990's and have gone through many search engines such as Lycos, Altavista, Metacrawler until Google hit the scene and basically obviated the need to use any other search engine.

Whenever that Godforsaken MSN forces it's way onto my screen and I am suckered into putting a query, I always close out and go to Google. Same with their abysmal "Live" search. Substandard next to Google in my opinion.

I just played around with the newest hyped search engine that people are claiming has a chance to knock Google's block off.

They have a toolbar. I installed it.

My first query was "how tall is Nanga Parbat" (Nanga Parbat is a mountain that is the ninth highest, but tallest from top to base - twice as tall as Everest.) It came back with the correct height.

Next, I queried the world's tallest woman. It was correct with the Chinese woman, her height and name.

Then I asked it a "complex" question and got zero results. I have tried about ten more queries with NO RESULTS at all.

I tried the same questions on Google and got answers in the first ten links every time. This is no Google killer. I'd be sleeping soundly tonight at Google's headquarters. What a crock.

Has anyone played with this yet and had better results?

(P.S. This is actually a very cool project to take data and make it computational. A Google killer perhaps in about five years if they find a way to integrate it with a better interface.)

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I tried reading Wolfram's book A New Science several years ago and I couldn't do it. Just too dry.

But the guy is a smart mofo, that's for sure.

Next try reading Buckminster Fuller's Synergetics and find out your place on the intelligence food chain. :D

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I Googled 'John Conner'. All I got were pictures of mushroom clouds & tombstones.

That was truly funny. :D

I was so disappointed when I put in "World's largest Male Genitalia" and my package wasn't featured. :evilg:

Then I put in "World's Largest A-Hole" and they had my baby picture. What the heck?

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  • 6 months later...
I have been active on the Internet since the first Netscape hit the market in the mid-1990's and have gone through many search engines such as Lycos, Altavista, Metacrawler until Google hit the scene and basically obviated the need to use any other search engine.

What's the knock against Metacrawler ?

Aren't they supposed to search all the search engines ?

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