An invention that could change the internet for ever

[TomClash]

Source: The Independent

The biggest internet revolution for a generation will be unveiled this month with the launch of software that will understand questions and give specific, tailored answers in a way that the web has never managed before.


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The new system, Wolfram Alpha, showcased at Harvard University in the US last week, takes the first step towards what many consider to be the internet's Holy Grail – a global store of information that understands and responds to ordinary language in the same way a person does.

Although the system is still new, it has already produced massive interest and excitement among technology pundits and internet watchers.

Computer experts believe the new search engine will be an evolutionary leap in the development of the internet. Nova Spivack, an internet and computer expert, said that Wolfram Alpha could prove just as important as Google. "It is really impressive and significant," he wrote. "In fact it may be as important for the web (and the world) as Google, but for a different purpose.

Tom Simpson, of the blog Convergenceofeverything.com, said: "What are the wider implications exactly? A new paradigm for using computers and the web? Probably. Emerging artificial intelligence and a step towards a self-organising internet? Possibly... I think this could be big."

Wolfram Alpha will not only give a straight answer to questions such as "how high is Mount Everest?", but it will also produce a neat page of related information – all properly sourced – such as geographical location and nearby towns, and other mountains, complete with graphs and charts.

The real innovation, however, is in its ability to work things out "on the fly", according to its British inventor, Dr Stephen Wolfram. If you ask it to compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, it will tell you. Or ask what the weather was like in London on the day John F Kennedy was assassinated, it will cross-check and provide the answer. Ask it about D sharp major, it will play the scale. Type in "10 flips for four heads" and it will guess that you need to know the probability of coin-tossing. If you want to know when the next solar eclipse over Chicago is, or the exact current location of the International Space Station, it can work it out.


Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/an-invention-that-could-change-the-internet-for-ever-1678109.html

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The comments below are interesting.

[Syrinx]

1. I saw that article

But I can't say I understand it. :(

[merh]

13. You'll have to wait on the software and ask

questions and have it give you specific, tailored answers in a way that the web has never managed before.

[Optical.Catalyst]

2. But if you ask it a question about Republicans, it would blow a fuse. n/t

[nxylas]

3. So, just like Ask Jeeves, then?

:hide:

[dethl]

4. If Wolfram Alpha's AI can truly learn over time

that will be one of the biggest advances in computing in quite some time. Probably one of the scariest too. I don't know if the world is ready to grasp the idea of a truly self-aware machine.

[DUlover2909]

5. I look forward to the day when I can vote for a machine for President.

:o

[MilesColtrane]

9. Much like Republicans, our Silicon Overlords will not be interested in holding elections.

[semillama]

28. Some might argue that Machines already have voted for a human president

(cue conspiracy music...)

[HysteryDiagnosis]

15. Didn't someone already write this

script???

[Ikonoklast]

27. Skynet will chastise you for your insolence.

[Why Syzygy]

6. :google: already does that

how high is Mt Everest

Mount Everest — Elevation: 8,848 metres (29,029 FT) Ranked 1st
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest - More sources »
Search Results

1.
Mt. Everest Information
Pumori, Everest and Lhotse at sunrise How tall is Mt. Everest? ... Acclimatizing properly is essential to safely ascend to high altitudes. ...
www.teameverest03.org/everest_info/index.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages -
2.
Mount Everest-360 degree panorama view from Top - Climb Mt Everest ...
50 years ago May 29 1953 The top of Mount Everest was reached for the first ... Air at very high altitude smells completely different to lower altitudes. ...
www.panoramas.dk/Fullscreen2/Full22.html - 51k - Cached - Similar pages -
3.
Mount Everest - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tibetan name for Mount Everest is Chomolungma or Qomolangma ... Andrew Waugh announced Everest (then known as Peak XV) as 29002 feet (8840 m) high, ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest - 205k - Cached - Similar pages -
http://www.google.com/search?q=how+high+is+Mt+Everest&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS245US246


10 flips for four heads
#
Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math
2 posts - Last post: May 10, 2001
Ten Coin Flips, Four Heads. Date: 05/08/2001 at 18:21:06 From: Timi Subject: If you flip a coin 10 times, what is the probability of getting ...
mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52217.html - 12k - Cached - Similar pages -
#
Math Forum - Ask Dr. Math
5 posts - Last post: Jan 31, 2003
Why is there a difference between the probability of four heads in a row in ... Sometimes (very rarely), you only have to flip the coin 4 times. ... In fact, you may see 10 heads in a row, but you still keep flipping. ...
mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/62167.html - 12k - Cached - Similar pages -
#
Probability Using Factorials
Anyway, however you do it, figure out that 210 = 1024. So there are 1024 paths in 10 coin flips. Next we need to know how many of them have exactly 4 heads. ...
www.math-prof.com/Prob/Prob_Ch_05.asp - 47k - Cached - Similar pages -
#
math problem help, will rep (14k) - Bodybuilding.com Forums
10 flips, you'll have ATLEAST 2 heads given the probability. 2/10. .... The question is asking how many ways can you flip 4 heads, out of 10 total. ...
forum.bodybuilding.com/archive/index.php?t-114766911.html - 21k - Cached - Similar pages -
#
Are there Mathematics models to determine probabilty of ...
4 posts - 3 authors
We mentioned before that for 10 flips there are 1024 different outcomes. We've just shown that exactly 5 heads will show up on exactly 252 of those 1024 ...
forums.atozteacherstuff.com/showthread.php?p=949994 - 64k - Cached - Similar pages -

http://www.google.com/search?q=10+flips+for+four+heads&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS245US246&aq=t


compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge
News story is skewing results.

Results 1 - 10 of about 9,880 for compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge,. (0.53 seconds)
Search Results

1.
Leaving Facebook... | Facebook | Twine
Apr 13, 2009 ... If you enter “mt. everest height length of golden gate” you'll get a page ... Everest as a multiple of the length of the Golden Gate Bridge. ...
www.twine.com/item/1269tf7m1-lq/leaving-facebook-facebook - 50k - Cached - Similar pages -
2.
Google crashes Wolfram Alpha debut party | Webware - CNET | Twine
The height of Mt. Everest can be expressed in terms of the length of the Golden Gate Bridge. Wolfram has deep technical chops. He's a MacArthur "genius ...
www.twine.com/item/127y8y45z-1rr/google-crashes-wolfram-alpha-debut-party-webware-cnet - 56k - Cached - Similar pages -
More results from www.twine.com »
3.
Golden Gate Bridge - Engaging Late-Breaking Articles - Wowzio
The height of Mt. Everest can be expressed in terms of the length of the Golden Gate Bridge. The site will be publicly available "in a few… ...
www.wowzio.com/pulse/104604_golden-gate-bridge - 25k - Cached - Similar pages -
4.
Ms Placed Democrat » Will Google Become Obsolete?
If you ask it to compare the height of Mount Everest to the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, it will tell you. Or ask what the weather was like in London ...
msplaceddemocrat.com/http:/msplaceddemocrat.com/will-google-become-obsolete/ - 8 hours ago - Similar pages -
5.
Seven Natural Wonders of the World: Mount Everest | Geography
Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height of its summit ... and Mapping officially announced the height of Everest as 8844.43 m ± 0.21 m. ... Title: Seven Wonders of the Modern World: Golden Gate Bridge ...
geography.learnhub.com/lesson/7292-seven-natural-wonders-of-the-world-mount-everest - 44k - Cached - Similar pages -
(...)
#
Mystery of the Megaflood
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
Sep 20, 2005 ... following five categories: length, height/depth, area, volume, and .... measurements to your team to compare to the size of other items. .... mount everest = 8850 meters high new York city to Washington, d.c. = 386 kilometers ... san francisco's golden gate Bridge, shore to shore = 2.7 kilometers ...
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/teachers/activities/pdf/3211_megafloo.pdf - Similar pages -
#
βloglines | Preview of Webware.com
Because those companies are still the gate keepers of trust. ... It has a customizable workspace of company icons and portfolios that users can drag and drop to track their investments and compare sets of data. .... The height of Mt. Everest can be expressed in terms of the length of the Golden Gate Bridge. ...
https://beta.bloglines.com/b/preview?siteid=12791979 - 39k - Cached - Similar pages -
#
Applied Abstractions
height of Mount Everest divided by length of Golden Gate bridge ... we try do it well, use experts, compare - US government typically does a really good job ...
www.espen.com/weblog/ - 95k - Cached - Similar pages -

[MilesColtrane]

7. I'm going to ask it, "Is there an exception to the rule that there is an exception to every rule?".

They'll never be able to find me to send me an invoice for breaking it.

[Why Syzygy]

8. google

Results 1 - 3 of 3 for "Is there an exception to the rule that there is an exception to every rule?". (0.56 seconds)
Search Results

1.
A question - No Pants Provided Forums
So the rule is every rule has at least 1 exception. Is there an exception to the rule that there is an exception to every rule? ...
www.nopantsprovided.com/forum/a-question-t4209.html?t=4209&onlybyuserid=44 - 50k - Cached - Similar pages -
2.
Scholastic Community - Re: Paradoxes!!!!!!!! - Reading Buzz ...
... exception to every rule, then every rule must have atleast one exception, so is there an exception to the rule that there is an exception to every rule? ...
community.scholastic.com/scholastic/board/message?board.id=summerreadingbuzz&message.id=80179&query.i... - 100k - Cached - Similar pages -
3.
Breaking the Funny Bone: an exception to every rule
AC: Is there an exception to the rule that there is an exception to every rule? posted by Joe Cooke @ 8:22 AM 0 comments links to this post ...
breakingthefunnybone.blogspot.com/2008/05/exception-to-every-rule.html - Similar pages -

[mikehiggins]

10. its skynet I tell you n/t

[cabluedem]

21. Right on the eve of "Terminator: Salvation" too. n/t

[Historic NY]

11. Input, output , throughput..it all boils down to the data out there in cyberspace.

I find google frustrating sometimes because it picks bad stuff along with the good. You still have to sort the info to sometimes come up with the answer your looking for. What does this search engine offer? How does its deal with the irrelevant info?

[santamargarita]

12. All Republicans will type 'NO'...

and the answer will be 'Republican + NO' is right-wing asshole

[Phred42]

14. Reminds me of one of the best Short Stories ever written - Fredric Brown, “Answer”

http://jahandost.wordpress.com/2008/02/15/fredric-browns-answer/

Fredric Brown’s Answer

Dwan Ev ceremoniously soldered the final connection with gold. The eyes of a dozen television cameras watched him and the
subether bore throughout the universe a dozen pictures of what he was doing.

He straightened and nodded to Dwar Reyn, then moved to a position beside the switch that would complete the contact when he threw
it. The switch that would connect, all at once, all of the monster computing machines of all the populated planets in the
universe — ninety-six billion planets — into the supercircuit that would connect them all into one supercalculator, one
cybernetics machine that would combine all the knowledge of all the galaxies.

Dwar Reyn spoke briefly to the watching and listening trillions. Then after a moment’s silence he said, “Now, Dwar Ev.”
Dwar Ev threw the switch. There was a mighty hum, the surge of power from ninety-six billion planets. Lights flashed and quieted
along the miles-long panel.

Dwar Ev stepped back and drew a deep breath. “The honor of asking the first question is yours, Dwar Reyn.”
“Thank you,” said Dwar Reyn. “It shall be a question which no single cybernetics machine has been able to answer.”
He turned to face the machine. “Is there a God?”

The mighty voice answered without hesitation, without the clicking of a single relay.
“Yes, now there is a God.”

Sudden fear flashed on the face of Dwar Ev. He leaped to grab the switch.
A bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck him down and fused the switch shut.

(Fredric Brown, “Answer”)

[pmorlan1]

16. Scary Stuff

Dr Wolfram, an award-winning physicist who is based in America, added that the information is "curated", meaning it is assessed first by experts. This means that the weaknesses of sites such as Wikipedia, where doubts are cast on the information because anyone can contribute, are taken out. It is based on his best-selling Mathematica software, a standard tool for scientists, engineers and academics for crunching complex maths.

The engine, which will be free to use, works by drawing on the knowledge on the internet, as well as private databases. Dr Wolfram said he expected that about 1,000 people would be needed to keep its databases updated with the latest discoveries and information.

He also added that he would not go down the road of storing information on ordinary people, although he was aware that others might use the technology to do so.

I'd like to know who the "experts" are that will "curate" the information. For instance will they take out views like we have on DU because they don't think they are relevant to the question asked? I'd also like to know who's private databases will be accessed? I most certainly want to know just what type of information may be stored on ordinary Americans and how would this differ with what is currently done?

I'd sure like to know more about this.

[mbperrin]

18. So it's actually not AI, but an edited database by select folks.

They've gone to some trouble, then, but it's hardly earth shattering.

[ContinentalOp]

24. So yahoo basically?

yawn

[canetoad]

26. On the internet

no one knows if you are an expert or a dog.

[pmorlan1]

17. More than a little scary

If it stores personal information would the government be able to ask it a question about us? Is so and so an enemy of the Bush administration? Give me the names of all those who have written against the "blank" administration? What will be it's idea of an enemy? Who will be able to program this AI? Will they little by little screen out voices they don't want us to hear? I find this more than a little scary. Does anyone else ?

[Iggo]

19. Is it called Skynet?

:hide:

ETA: Oops. Mikehiggins already joked about this way back in response #10. Mad props, Mike.

[Frisbee]

20. Cuil! n/t

[pocoloco]

22. Gonna name it Hal??

[Stargleamer]

23. A sneak-peak at Wolfram-Alpha . . .

if interested in seeing a sneak peak at Wolfram-Alpha click here:
<http://www.altsearchengines.com/2009/05/02/a-sneak-preview-of-wolfram-alpha/>

[high density]

25. Just like the Segway changed how we get around cities forever.

:eyes:

[Iowa]

29. Pfffft... What I'd REALLY like to see:

1) Privacy
2) Bandwidth... massive bandwidth (no more Time Warner bullshit)
3) Net neutrality forever

Give me those three things and I'll pay attention.

[robcon]

30. This program is based on a false premise.

We don't want "an answer" to a question.

It is only some in some rarefied world that what we are looking for is a simple answer. We are seeking more information, since the world is an ambiguous, opinionated world, where there is no objective truth, except for questions like what is 7.777615 x 6.980796.

This isn't going to "change the internet forever," IMO.