Comments on: Why Wolfram Alpha won´t replace Google http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/ Open World Assumptions Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:31:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nathaniel http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2671 Nathaniel Thu, 07 May 2009 19:39:39 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2671 I don't get why everyone writes and article about this and makes a big deal of the caveat: "THIS WON'T REPLACE GOOGLE" as if it were falling short in that regard. It isn't even intended to replace Google in any way because it is a completely different service. Just because it happens to be a search engine doesn't mean much. Any search engine competes with Google in the broad sense of finding information, but Google is focused on web pages, like PizzaTorrent is focused on torrents, and Wolfram is focused on correlating data available on the web. Different tools using similar technology. I don’t get why everyone writes and article about this and makes a big deal of the caveat: “THIS WON’T REPLACE GOOGLE” as if it were falling short in that regard.

It isn’t even intended to replace Google in any way because it is a completely different service. Just because it happens to be a search engine doesn’t mean much. Any search engine competes with Google in the broad sense of finding information, but Google is focused on web pages, like PizzaTorrent is focused on torrents, and Wolfram is focused on correlating data available on the web. Different tools using similar technology.

]]> By: Mans Shapshak http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2262 Mans Shapshak Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:29:14 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2262 We often think of math something we have invented to explain the universe based on emperical evidence but in fact if you drop enough matches on a table you will find the number Pi which leads to the calculated answer of a circle. This intersection between math and cellular automata in this way leads to an answer to the circumference of the earth. So by putting a natural language processor on top and grabbing the implied context(s) and deviations you could skip the math part and vary the bottom layer algorithms of the physical universe to calculate the answer. In other words somebody asks for the distance of flight from Madrid to Sydney and instead of calculating the arc via mathemtical formula you start dropping sticks or some reduced mini celluar automata. Lets say you want to know how strong the TV signal is in a valley. First you figure out the domain which in this case is radio waves and transmission. Youget the relevant input like radio tower locations and terrain but then you dont use Maxwells Equations you use the fact that space is 3 dimensional and that something must spread from here to there. You include the terrain in the model and calculate and calculate and drop lower order terms. So we can think of the stack the normal way we deal with stuff as: 1) Ideas 2) Language 3) Physics and Empirically Observed Results (Theory) 4) Math 5) Cellular Automata of the Universe Wolfram Alfa seems to cutout the middle and deal with it this way: 1) Ideas 2) Language 3) Cellular Automata of the Universe Update 3: OK just ran into a job add which says that Wolfram is adding 75 positions from various diciplines. While this add does not the actual product it seems like Wolfram Alfa to me. They use the terminaology "data packlets". The articles talk about hiring researchers for data mining and curating. We often think of math something we have invented to explain the universe based on emperical evidence but in fact if you drop enough matches on a table you will find the number Pi which leads to the calculated answer of a circle. This intersection between math and cellular automata in this way leads to an answer to the circumference of the earth. So by putting a natural language processor on top and grabbing the implied context(s) and deviations you could skip the math part and vary the bottom layer algorithms of the physical universe to calculate the answer. In other words somebody asks for the distance of flight from Madrid to Sydney and instead of calculating the arc via mathemtical formula you start dropping sticks or some reduced mini celluar automata.

Lets say you want to know how strong the TV signal is in a valley. First you figure out the domain which in this case is radio waves and transmission. Youget the relevant input like radio tower locations and terrain but then you dont use Maxwells Equations you use the fact that space is 3 dimensional and that something must spread from here to there. You include the terrain in the model and calculate and calculate and drop lower order terms.

So we can think of the stack the normal way we deal with stuff as:
1) Ideas
2) Language
3) Physics and Empirically Observed Results (Theory)
4) Math
5) Cellular Automata of the Universe
Wolfram Alfa seems to cutout the middle and deal with it this way:
1) Ideas
2) Language
3) Cellular Automata of the Universe

Update 3: OK just ran into a job add which says that Wolfram is adding 75 positions from various diciplines. While this add does not the actual product it seems like Wolfram Alfa to me. They use the terminaology “data packlets”. The articles talk about hiring researchers for data mining and curating.

]]> By: Renat Zarbailov of Innomind.org http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2248 Renat Zarbailov of Innomind.org Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:57:34 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2248 If Wolfram Alpha will have a "Google suggest"-like option when someone typing in the question then it may revolutionize search as we know it. I do agree with the above comment that in most cases people simply don't know how to phrase the question properly. The key to receiving the right answers is how you form the question. Sometimes people go through life and only ask themselves questions later in life that if asked earlier may have turned their life path different direction... :) My 2.9 cents If Wolfram Alpha will have a “Google suggest”-like option when someone typing in the question then it may revolutionize search as we know it. I do agree with the above comment that in most cases people simply don’t know how to phrase the question properly. The key to receiving the right answers is how you form the question. Sometimes people go through life and only ask themselves questions later in life that if asked earlier may have turned their life path different direction… :)
My 2.9 cents

]]> By: Maciej Wiktorowski http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2236 Maciej Wiktorowski Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:14:53 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2236 Doesn't it look like a step back? Whole that thing about indexing databases from different science fields, created especially for this project. I wonder if people would like to use something what looks like digital Encyclopedia (but in 100% credible on contrary to Wikipedia). I think they will find constant group of users but if it is all what is going to be indexed they are definitely not going to become loved by masses, that are used to get democratized knowledge they can contribute to. Doesn’t it look like a step back? Whole that thing about indexing databases from different science fields, created especially for this project. I wonder if people would like to use something what looks like digital Encyclopedia (but in 100% credible on contrary to Wikipedia). I think they will find constant group of users but if it is all what is going to be indexed they are definitely not going to become loved by masses, that are used to get democratized knowledge they can contribute to.

]]> By: Computational Culture » Blog Archive » Wolfram Alpha http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2233 Computational Culture » Blog Archive » Wolfram Alpha Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:17:29 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2233 [...] Why Wolfram Alpha won´t replace Google - Wolfram Alpha: an alternative to Google, the Semantic Web and Cyc? - Wolfram Alpha - Matrix [...] [...] Why Wolfram Alpha won´t replace Google – Wolfram Alpha: an alternative to Google, the Semantic Web and Cyc? – Wolfram Alpha – Matrix [...]

]]> By: Andreas Blumauer http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2229 Andreas Blumauer Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:58:08 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2229 Thanks Andraz, we will see, if I am right with my guess. Thanks Andraz, we will see, if I am right with my guess.

]]> By: Andraz Tori http://blog.semantic-web.at/2009/03/12/why-wolfram-alpha-won%c2%b4t-replace-google/#comment-2224 Andraz Tori Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:52:12 +0000 http://blog.semantic-web.at/?p=677#comment-2224 Hi, very good insight :). I agree with analysis. The big question is what can be done about the "query by association" and descriptive queries. I am not seeing any advances regarding this. bye Andraz Tori, Zemanta Hi,

very good insight :) . I agree with analysis.

The big question is what can be done about the “query by association” and descriptive queries.

I am not seeing any advances regarding this.

bye
Andraz Tori, Zemanta

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