Tomorrow's news: Wolfram Alpha

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Imagine a website where you search and exactly what you want to know pops up on the screen. There’s no more digging through web pages trying to find what you need.

A new computational knowledge engine, Wolfram|Alpha, is on its way to developing the technology thought to be the future of search engines. The goal of the website, to make the world’s knowledge computable and available to the public, is an ongoing process.

Launched in May 2009 by Stephen Wolfram, Wolfram|Alpha hopes to be able to, according to his blog, “take questions people ask in natural language, and represent them in a precise form that fits into the computations one can do.” In other words, the engine is now trying to understand your search.

Although the website is still in its early stages, it’s already extremely helpful when searching for specific facts or data. It takes a couple minutes to learn how to use, but the results are well worth it.

Essential life skills: recovering from a PC ...

In case of emergency, read quickly.

/news/2010/jan/21/essential-life-skills-pc-crash/

Privacy matters

How your Facebook profile could hurt your job prospects.

/news/2009/nov/19/privacy-matters/

Doing the cha cha

A new information service can be used for fact or fun

/news/2008/sep/11/doing_cha_cha/

Opportunity calls

How to get the most out of your internship.

/news/2010/oct/07/opportunity-calls/

Green it!

Predict climate change with your idle computer

/news/2009/jan/22/green_it/

DISCONNECTED: A day without media

Could you survive it?

/news/2012/jan/25/without-media/

Essential Life Skills: Saving a wet computer

In case of emergency, read quickly.

/news/2011/sep/22/essential-life-skills-saving-wet-computer/

Why internships matter for students

A deflating economy and a shrinking number of jobs keep market tough ...

/news/2008/nov/18/internships_matter/

Camp encourages girls to study engineering

The School of Engineering hosts a camp for girls to get hands-on ...

/news/2009/jun/16/engineering/

Job search easier with University Career Center

Resume and interview counseling just two of many resources made available by ...

/news/2010/aug/17/job-search-easier-university-career-center/

Q & A with Vince DiFiore of ...

DiFore discusses life in college and the stresses of being a musician

/news/2009/apr/09/q_vince_difiore_cake/

Overworked students' dangerous race against time

Is too much work and too little time putting students' health at ...

/news/2011/apr/28/time-not-our-side/

E-mail gives career counselors advice

/news/2009/mar/03/email_gives/

Not-so-common knowledge

Mythbusters - KU style

/news/2007/aug/30/notsocommon_knowledge/

A day in the life of a ...

Living vicariously through others is OK with us.

/news/2009/sep/10/day_life_ku_info_worker/

Blog: Taking Photos of Lightening

Shooting during a storm.

/news/2011/nov/30/blog-taking-photos-lightening/

Road trippin'

Don't leave yourself stranded

/news/2011/sep/29/road-trippin/

Google invades privacy too

/news/2006/feb/09/op_goetting/

Trivial Pursuits

Test your gaming skills at trivia nights.

/news/2011/jan/27/trivial-pursuits/

Finding the perfect roommate

How to search for the best roommates.

/news/2010/mar/08/finding-perfect-roommate/

Castle: Coming out is a life-changing experience ...

From personal experience, coming out is a journey that isn't easy, but ...

/news/2011/oct/17/castle-coming-out-life-changing-experience-many/

This weekend

Smackdown! trivia

/news/2009/feb/26/weekend/

Q&A Girl Talk

Because we have questions. Celebrities have answers.

/news/2009/oct/01/girl_talk/

Free For All: Sept. 10, 2007

Did anybody see the K-State video on YouTube? Don’t forget your power ...

/news/2007/sep/10/free_all/

BeerGenius spreads knowledge of craft beers

KU graduate Jeff Ward is the website’s ‘resident chef,’ teaching readers how ...

/news/2010/jul/12/beergenius-spreads-knowledge-craft-beers/

Carmichael: ‘Rate My Professor’ is the University’s ...

Professors should appreciate website's fairly accurate critique.

/news/2011/apr/28/carmichael-rate-my-professor-universitys-review-se/

Blog: The End of the World?

Doing Without: Using Google

/news/2011/nov/30/blog-end-world/

Unpaid internship experience too risky?

Students question whether unpaid internships are worth it.

/news/2009/jun/23/internships/

Grad life: Getting to know two graduate ...

Two graduate students shed light on the pressures of pursuing a master's, ...

/news/2011/nov/14/grad-life/

Going the distance

Video chatting helps students network and even apply for jobs.

/news/2009/oct/08/going-distance/

Marvin: Bandwidth limits hurt Web growth

Sunflower Broadband is holding back customers from optimal Internet.

/news/2008/aug/29/bandwidth/

Five flirting styles unveiled

A study within the communications department recently named five styles of getting ...

/news/2010/nov/08/five-flirting-styles-unveiled/

Free program helps students clean up Facebook ...

Students make their Facebook pages presentable for the real world with a ...

/news/2011/mar/28/free-program-helps-students-clean-facebook-pages-f/

Blog: Basic Training

Reporter Kelly Stroda is spending six days at Ft. Leavenworth and Ft. ...

/news/2010/sep/26/basic-training/

Editorial: What The Kansan wants to ask ...

The process of hiring a new chancellor is daunting, and the search ...

/news/2009/jan/20/editorial_chancellor/

Where do CLAS graduates go from here?

Rough job markets take bigger toll on liberal arts majors.

/news/2009/may/07/clas_graduates/

Stimulus providing fellowships to grad students

Fellowships will be available in early 2010.

/news/2009/oct/06/stimulus/

Students look for international internships, World Cup ...

The international youth leadership organization AIESEC held an internship fair Wednesday, representing ...

/news/2010/apr/29/students-look-international-internships-world-cup-/

Cache-ing in

High-tech hide and seek uncovers hidden treasures.

/news/2010/dec/02/cache-ing/

Question & Answer with Chuck D, rapper ...

Chuck D is known for his 20 years as frontman for the ...

/news/2008/oct/23/question_answer_chuck_d_rapper_and_activist/

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