7 ms·

Wolfram Alpha might be the most advanced piece of web technology nobody needs.

by frisco 15y ago

pjin 15y ago
Unless you need to compute integrals, enumerate Bessel functions, use fundamental constants, check units, quickly plot an arbitrary function, etc. In other words, it's an excellent technical calculator, or a more accessible and digestible version of Mathematica.
thefool 15y ago
Except that it is extremely useful as a powerful calculator for students and professionals doing technical things, and in the process of being very handy teaches people mathematica notation. Just because it's not necessarily aimed at the average person doesn't mean its not aimed at anyone. I expect Wolfram alpha has done a lot to drive sales of mathematica.
- tedunangst 15y ago
  I feel the original comment applies not to mathematica, just to the (alpha - mathematica) subset, much of which seems to exist just to prove it can exist. But I don't begrudge them this at all, it's still cool.
- drumdance 15y ago
  Seems like a pretty expensive marketing tool.
- _delirium 15y ago
  That's basically what I use it for: a "lite" version of Mathematica as a webservice, hidden inside this other thing that claims to be a search engine.
- tripzilch 15y ago
  Problem is, every time I think "hey this would be a problem WA could answer!", I somehow get stuck because WA never seems to have the data I'm looking for (last time, electricity prices are always assumed to be US prices even if I say "in Germany"), or it's unable to present me the data in a way that's helpful to me (last time, a bit longer ago, comparing some demographic statistics between 3 countries--I forgot the details). There was one time it worked for me, when I had to compute the derivative of a Lennard-Jones potential function. Even though it gave me a lot of different answers of the same formula written in complex different ways. I just remembered Mathematica has a Simplify function, maybe that would have worked in WA too. Entering one's birthday and finding out how many weeks or days you lived is kind of fun. For general calculations and unit conversions I prefer to use Google Calculator, for the simple fact that the page loads much quicker.
- Aqwis 15y ago
  Many students at my (non-US) university use Wolfram Alpha for graphing, simplification of formulas and similar every day, yet most have no idea that Mathematica even exists. If Wolfram wants Wolfram Alpha to drive sales of Mathematica they should do more to advertise that program through the service.
rjd 15y ago
Nope, I've started building a procedure solar system generator, and I've found myself on it on a regular basis lately. Its an amazing resource if you need what it has. So I assume as it keeps expanding I'll use it more and more.
mun2mun 15y ago
Right now :)
nazgulnarsil 15y ago
pocket mathematica on my smart phone (for certain tasks). VERY useful in a pinch.
meadhikari 15y ago
http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica-home-edition/ http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica-home-edition/ That strongly suggests somebody do need it.
- ConstantineXVI 15y ago
  I'd like to know the set of people that: * Go beyond Alpha's capabilities in home use * See the need for full-on Mathematica * Are dedicated enough to make full use of it * Don't already have access to full-on Mathematica somehow (work/uni computer, etc) * Can't buy a student license ($140) * Really wants to spend $300 on it. Hm, how will I ever figure all that out? :)
  - cormullion 15y ago
    That's quite cheap for a hobbyist's item (if they already have a computer). Compared with a yacht, or a golfing bat, for example... :)
  - fomojola 15y ago
    Would Wolfram Alpha be able to compute that for you?
obiterdictum 15y ago
Actually it's currently used in Apple's Siri to answer factual questions.
- ConstantineXVI 15y ago
  Interesting parallel; the original NeXT computer (also created by Jobs and the iPhone's ancestor by way of NeXTSTEP->MacOSX->iOS) bundled a copy of Mathematica.
  - alicebob 15y ago
    Read http://blog.wolfram.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-a-few-memories/ http://blog.wolfram.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-a-few-memories... for a nice story about that.
w1ntermute 15y ago
I need it all the time for use as a scientific calculator that blows anything else in existence out of the water by a long shot.
scorpion032 15y ago
Except until you integrate it with Siri (Only iPhone 4S, for now) and suddenly it is the technology everyone needs.
- aw3c2 15y ago
  No, you don't understand. Apple saw the potential in the crude and complicated service, streamlined and polished it for humans and added revolutionary state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to give people what they need, when they need it. </sarcasm>
cormullion 15y ago
It's like a command line interface to the internet.
rayhano 15y ago
Replace "nobody" with "nobody who cannot see the matrix..."
LaGrange 15y ago
Actually, I use it quite a lot in mundane dispute-resolving situations, akin to Wikipedia. It lets you easily pull out stuff like 'gdp per capita in 2003 "United Arab Emirates", "New Zealand", "Hong Kong", "Norway", "Israel"', 'languages "papua new guinea", bolivia, kenya', 'hdi in africa', '"oil reserves"/area middle east, "oil reserves"/area north america, "oil reserves"/area china', '(switzerland railway length/switzerland population), (usa railway length/usa population)' As you can see, the queries can sometimes get rather tricky, but that is fun stuff. Also, it's a super-useful calculator.
gallerytungsten 15y ago
I find Wolfram Alpha is the search engine equivalent of an "idiot savant." Sometimes it works quite well; other times it's completely unable to parse the input and come up with any kind of answer, no matter how many times you rephrase the query.
minhajuddin 15y ago
Cloudy calculator is an awesome interface to wolfram alpha, right from your browser (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/acgimceffoceigocablmjdpebeodphgc https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/acgimceffoceigocab...) Just enter something like '10 usd to inr' for quickly converting US dollars to Indian Rupees

Wolfram Alpha might be the most advanced piece of web technology nobody needs.

by frisco 15y ago

Wolfram Alpha might be the most advanced piece of web technology nobody needs.

pjin 15y ago

Unless you need to compute integrals, enumerate Bessel functions, use fundamental constants, check units, quickly plot an arbitrary function, etc. In other words, it's an excellent technical calculator, or a more accessible and digestible version of Mathematica.

thefool 15y ago

Except that it is extremely useful as a powerful calculator for students and professionals doing technical things, and in the process of being very handy teaches people mathematica notation. Just because it's not necessarily aimed at the average person doesn't mean its not aimed at anyone. I expect Wolfram alpha has done a lot to drive sales of mathematica.

tedunangst 15y ago
I feel the original comment applies not to mathematica, just to the (alpha - mathematica) subset, much of which seems to exist just to prove it can exist. But I don't begrudge them this at all, it's still cool.
drumdance 15y ago
Seems like a pretty expensive marketing tool.
_delirium 15y ago
That's basically what I use it for: a "lite" version of Mathematica as a webservice, hidden inside this other thing that claims to be a search engine.
tripzilch 15y ago
Problem is, every time I think "hey this would be a problem WA could answer!", I somehow get stuck because WA never seems to have the data I'm looking for (last time, electricity prices are always assumed to be US prices even if I say "in Germany"), or it's unable to present me the data in a way that's helpful to me (last time, a bit longer ago, comparing some demographic statistics between 3 countries--I forgot the details). There was one time it worked for me, when I had to compute the derivative of a Lennard-Jones potential function. Even though it gave me a lot of different answers of the same formula written in complex different ways. I just remembered Mathematica has a Simplify function, maybe that would have worked in WA too. Entering one's birthday and finding out how many weeks or days you lived is kind of fun. For general calculations and unit conversions I prefer to use Google Calculator, for the simple fact that the page loads much quicker.
Aqwis 15y ago
Many students at my (non-US) university use Wolfram Alpha for graphing, simplification of formulas and similar every day, yet most have no idea that Mathematica even exists. If Wolfram wants Wolfram Alpha to drive sales of Mathematica they should do more to advertise that program through the service.

rjd 15y ago

Nope, I've started building a procedure solar system generator, and I've found myself on it on a regular basis lately. Its an amazing resource if you need what it has. So I assume as it keeps expanding I'll use it more and more.

mun2mun 15y ago

Right now :)

nazgulnarsil 15y ago

pocket mathematica on my smart phone (for certain tasks). VERY useful in a pinch.

meadhikari 15y ago

http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica-home-edition/ http://www.wolfram.com/mathematica-home-edition/ That strongly suggests somebody do need it.

ConstantineXVI 15y ago
I'd like to know the set of people that: * Go beyond Alpha's capabilities in home use * See the need for full-on Mathematica * Are dedicated enough to make full use of it * Don't already have access to full-on Mathematica somehow (work/uni computer, etc) * Can't buy a student license ($140) * Really wants to spend $300 on it. Hm, how will I ever figure all that out? :)
- cormullion 15y ago
  That's quite cheap for a hobbyist's item (if they already have a computer). Compared with a yacht, or a golfing bat, for example... :)
- fomojola 15y ago
  Would Wolfram Alpha be able to compute that for you?

obiterdictum 15y ago

Actually it's currently used in Apple's Siri to answer factual questions.

ConstantineXVI 15y ago
Interesting parallel; the original NeXT computer (also created by Jobs and the iPhone's ancestor by way of NeXTSTEP->MacOSX->iOS) bundled a copy of Mathematica.
- alicebob 15y ago
  Read http://blog.wolfram.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-a-few-memories/ http://blog.wolfram.com/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-a-few-memories... for a nice story about that.

w1ntermute 15y ago

I need it all the time for use as a scientific calculator that blows anything else in existence out of the water by a long shot.

scorpion032 15y ago

Except until you integrate it with Siri (Only iPhone 4S, for now) and suddenly it is the technology everyone needs.

aw3c2 15y ago
No, you don't understand. Apple saw the potential in the crude and complicated service, streamlined and polished it for humans and added revolutionary state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to give people what they need, when they need it. </sarcasm>

cormullion 15y ago

It's like a command line interface to the internet.

rayhano 15y ago

Replace "nobody" with "nobody who cannot see the matrix..."

LaGrange 15y ago

Actually, I use it quite a lot in mundane dispute-resolving situations, akin to Wikipedia. It lets you easily pull out stuff like 'gdp per capita in 2003 "United Arab Emirates", "New Zealand", "Hong Kong", "Norway", "Israel"', 'languages "papua new guinea", bolivia, kenya', 'hdi in africa', '"oil reserves"/area middle east, "oil reserves"/area north america, "oil reserves"/area china', '(switzerland railway length/switzerland population), (usa railway length/usa population)' As you can see, the queries can sometimes get rather tricky, but that is fun stuff. Also, it's a super-useful calculator.

gallerytungsten 15y ago

I find Wolfram Alpha is the search engine equivalent of an "idiot savant." Sometimes it works quite well; other times it's completely unable to parse the input and come up with any kind of answer, no matter how many times you rephrase the query.

minhajuddin 15y ago

Cloudy calculator is an awesome interface to wolfram alpha, right from your browser (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/acgimceffoceigocablmjdpebeodphgc https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/acgimceffoceigocab...) Just enter something like '10 usd to inr' for quickly converting US dollars to Indian Rupees