Wolfram Alpha is Coming -- and It Could be as Important as Google

[newbie2]

Stephen Wolfram is building something new -- and it is really impressive and significant. In fact it may be as important for the Web (and the world) as Google, but for a different purpose. It's not a "Google killer" -- it does something different. It's an "answer engine" rather than a search engine.
http://www.twine.com/item/122mz8lz9-4c/wolfram-alpha-is-coming-and-it-could-be-as-important-as-google
:popcorn:

[billgoldberg]

Repost.

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It can only answer questions that have facts as the result, thus making it useless.

[Sealbhach]

Repost.

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It can only answer questions that have facts as the result, thus making it useless.

Sounds kinda useful if the question you ask is about some fact. Would you prefer it gave opinions or just answered YES and NO?


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[Johnsie]

like ask jeeves?

[Paqman]

So what happens if you ask it something hugely (or indeed infinitely) computationally intensive? Does it just sit there until it's worked out the answer? If so, malicious users could bring the system to a standstill pretty quickly.

[Vadi]

clone of http://www.answers.com/ ?

[Paqman]

clone of http://www.answers.com/ ?

Not if the article is correct. Answers.com is simply a database. This Wolfram service seems like it is supposed to actually compute the answer based on a mathematical model of the real world. That's pretty ambitious.

[Vadi]

Somehow I have a feeling that a human answer would be better for now. But we'll see...