New Search Engine coming.

[rokytnji]

Its called Wolfram Alpha. Supposed to give google a run for their money I guess.

Wolfram Alpha: Next major search breakthrough? | Outside the Lines - CNET News

[questio verum]

If this delivers as promised, it could be a landmark event in the evolution of the internet and computing, and even of society. But if you read the article and follow the trail of links, it quickly becomes clear that "Alpha" is not really meant to compete with Google. It is far more purposeful, intelligent, and directed. Where Google is a search engine that returns results based on keywords, Alpha is a "computational knowledge engine" that actually assembles a response, based on available models and related data. Nova Spivack notes that if Alpha had a competitor, it would be something more along the lines of a 'wikipedia'.

What I'd like to know is: which fields of knowledge have been 'seeded' into Alpha for it's initial release? Since it has been developed and seeded primarily by scientists and developers, I imagine programming and the science disciplines are well represented. That's cool with me. It should be interesting to watch the continuance of the seeding process and note which areas of human knowledge and experience get represented first. That in itself could be instructional.

As voice recognition algorithms improve and text-to-speech (or code-to-speech) conversion improves, I can see an intersect in the not-too-distant future where this technology produces teaching robots. It really doesn't require much imagination to see this. Even without Alpha, I think we're headed in this direction anyway

I can also see a segment of the earth's population that would resent and wish to undo such technology. Just as the presence of porn on the internet inspires fear and protective instinct in young parents; a powerful well-versed teaching machine like this would be the bane of every suppressive government, corporation, individual, and religious body on the globe. It would be a great tool for taking the piss out of the worlds tyrants.

Thanks for posting the link, Roky. Very cool. Btw, if you didn't punch through them the first time around, here are some of the links I spoke of:

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

Wolfram|Alpha Is Coming!

Wolfram Alpha — it’s like plugging into an electronic brain

And, the placeholder for the upcoming Wolfram-Alpha website.


qv

[rokytnji]

Btw, if you didn't punch through them the first time around, here are some of the links I spoke of:

No Questo I haven't. Thanks. Been busy gathering up material and work helpers for my motorcycle shop and helping out some forum members today. Will check it out when time frees up for me a little. Thanks again Questo.

[SkittleLinux18]

So wait, the search engine is not going live until May?

[rokytnji]

So wait, the search engine is not going live until May?

Yep, I think thats correct.

[Roxoff]

Looks like it might be quite cool. I wonder how it'll get on with jokes - like if you asked it 'what do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo'... etc.

At first I thought it wouldn't understand humour with a tutonic name like Wolfram - but it seems that the inventors are American, so it'll probably only be sarcasm that it doesn't understand...

[TTIO]

Question: Is this the same Wolfram referenced in XKCD's "I call Wolfram's Rule 34 on Rule 34" joke? (for those of you who haven't seen it, it's in the mouseover text)

[questio verum]

Question: Is this the same Wolfram referenced in XKCD's "I call Wolfram's Rule 34 on Rule 34" joke? (for those of you who haven't seen it, it's in the mouseover text)

Uh, yup. That would be him. Wow! The guy gets around.

edit: there's a serviceable explanation here.


qv