Wolfram|Alpha
This thing is really intelligent! It gives you answers from food & nutrition to physics and linguistics. Even when we ask it if it sleeps, it says “no, I can’t.”
Try “bacon” or “gravy” and it gives you the nutritional facts. Try “Coca Cola” and it spits out all the company info. Try math or physics and you’ll be blown away.
A little tricky to figure out the right way to input your questions though. Maybe because we’re so used to keyword search, not smart, computational algorithm offered by this engine. The site offers some tips for good results:
- Wolfram|Alpha answers specific questions rather than explaining general topics
Enter “2 cups of sugar”, not “nutrition information” - You can only get answers about objective facts
Try “highest mountain”, not “most beautiful painting” - Only what is known is known to Wolfram|Alpha
Ask “how many men in Mauritania”, not “how many monsters in Loch Ness” - Only public information is available
Request “GDP of France”, not “home phone of Michael Jordan”
And the worst part is, I still get stumped on how to best enter my questions. Yes, I’m not as smart as Stephen Wolfram. 🙂