Wolfram Alpha

[Top_Cat]

Anyone else have a play wih this? Saw this article on Slate too;

Wolfram Alpha, yet another pretender to Google's throne. - By Farhad Manjoo - Slate Magazine

Tend to agree with it for the most part, although the device is still feeling its way, of course. I mean it's cute to type in "How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man?" but typing in someone else's lyrics doesn't really work (Travis' "Why does it always rain on me?" produced a pretty useless result....). At this stage, it's a bit of a nerd humour toy. Asking the meaning of life will get you "42" as the answer, for example.

One of the commenters on the article also made the point that there's no way of knowing whether WA has got it right, with Google at least there's a raft of links to choose from to verify answers to a degree. WA just gives you an answer, at this stage.

Thoughts? Would love to see some really wacky results of queries posted here too. Keep it PG, people. haha

[silentstriker]

"What is NASA's budget?" gave me something completely unrelated. On the other hand, I typed that into google, and the first link was 'NASA Budget' on wikipedia.

As a programmar, this type of fuzzy logic is stupendously hard to get right. Language rarely translates well into things machines can parse, but I'd be interested in a good try.

Example: "What is the age of the universe?" works and gives the right result, but 'How old is the universe?' does not.

[Athlai]

Was useless, had no idea where my keys are.

[alternative]

Was useless, had no idea where my keys are.

[Top_Cat]

Haha @ Athlai.

"What is NASA's budget?" gave me something completely unrelated. On the other hand, I typed that into google, and the first link was 'NASA Budget' on wikipedia.

As a programmar, this type of fuzzy logic is stupendously hard to get right. Language rarely translates well into things machines can parse, but I'd be interested in a good try.

Example: "What is the age of the universe?" works and gives the right result, but 'How old is the universe?' does not.

Oh for sure, it's a great attempt. A while away from being really useful yet, though. The other issue is history. Google pretty much instantaneously made every other search engine look a toy in comparison. This has a hard act to follow.

Mind you, if anyone can pull it off, it's Wolfram. Heck of a resume he's got there.

[NZTailender]

Disappointed this wasn't about the online multiplayer tank game, tbh.

[Ausage]

Was useless, had no idea where my keys are.

Disappointed that it doesn't come up with something like "Where was the last place you put them?"

[PhoenixFire]

Haha @ Athlai.



Oh for sure, it's a great attempt. A while away from being really useful yet, though. The other issue is history. Google pretty much instantaneously made every other search engine look a toy in comparison. This has a hard act to follow.

Mind you, if anyone can pull it off, it's Wolfram. Heck of a resume he's got there.

They interviewed the bloke behind it and he was saying that it is pretty rusty now and will take around 18 months for it to get properly how he wants it.

[Goughy]

Didnt know Bradmans bating average.

[cpr]

Poor, couldnt find Wally, though did decide Waldo is in either Maine or Arkansas.

[Top_Cat]

They interviewed the bloke behind it and he was saying that it is pretty rusty now and will take around 18 months for it to get properly how he wants it.

Well, it's taken him 20 years so another 18 months won't matter much!

[Neil Pickup]

Well, it's taken him 20 years so another 18 months won't matter much!

It appears to be getting better and better, and is currently proving a rather useful crutch to treble check my model answers for scholarship bits. On a slightly related note, I just discovered that Wolfram is a former pupil of my school...