A Most Useful Interpreter

If you’ve not yet heard of Wolfram|Alpha, you just haven’t been reading up on enough of those scientific internet applications recently. It is, in my opinion, one of the most useful and incredible breakthroughs in dynamic input interpreter (or “search engine”) technology since Google. Bing’s got nothing on this shit¹.

Wolfram|Alpha is this service I’ve been using for several weeks, perhaps more, and it is by far the single most useful computational knowledge engines I’ve ever used, and maybe the first! Stephen Wolfram’s goal with Alpha is essentially to make the world’s knowledge quantifiable and search-able, and condensed and consolidated into a database able to receive a single input string.

Only a fool couldn’t see that Wolfram|Alpha is a good idea. First of all, it’s fantastic for doing simple things: calculating roots of a quadratic function, finding out where the moon will be tomorrow, etc. And all of these simple things add up until you realize exactly how many simple things Wolfram|Alpha can do.

Second, I love the design. Alpha’s website is simple and intuitive, bringing the viewer’s eye towards the input field, and secondarily towards the list of examples. On a results page, the data is loaded dynamically, and although it’s not immediately available in plain-text, it’s clear that this is necessary. Obviously they are loading information in such a way that enhances speed and accessibility.

Lastly, the interpreter is very intelligent. Most coherent input strings can be read and interpreted pretty well, regardless of syntax. Before you even take a look at all of the examples, you can probably guess at some of things that can be entered. Try “etymology anxious” or just “anxious” or even “what are broader terms for the word tuna?” You can query an object — the word anxious — or, in addition limit information, such as the etymology. In addition, you can type in two queries separated by a comma (such as “Pluto, Neptune“), and Alpha will format and compare the two entities dynamically. The interpreting power of Wolfram|Alpha can only be surpassed by its computational power and sheer bulk of data.

There’s really not a whole lot to say, you kind of have to experience it for yourself. I suggest you check it out, play with it a little bit, and see what you can do.

All Wolfram needs now is a comprehensively featured and useful desktop client.

¹Technically speaking, Bing has nothing on anything. “Decision engine?” It doesn’t even make decisions! It’s just Google, with less influence and ability, a superfluous design, and a distinct need to actually advertise their services. On TV! Television, for Christ’s sake!