Interfacing – WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is more than just a search engine – it’s a computational knowledge engine. According to Wolfram itself, instead of searching the web and returning links, Wolfram generates output by doing computations from its own internal knowledge base. What this means, is that Wolfram is effectively a thinking search engine. For example, a search for ‘How do I cure a sinus infection?’ returns a breakdown of the four treatments most commonly proscribed by doctors, based on gender. A search for ‘Where am I?’ utilizes your IP address to determine your Internet Service Provider, and your most likely geographical location. Wolfram’s also fun – typing in ‘What is Love?’ generates several answers, including ‘Baby don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt me, no more.’ Not only is Wolfram a thinking search engine, it apparently also listens to early 1990s dance music.