Wolfram Alpha

Math-wiz Stephen Wolfram, who published his first scientific paper at the age of 15 and who received his PhD in theoretical physics from Caltech by the age of 20, has made a contribution to the internet community.  Wolfram Alpha. 

Wolfram Alpha (http://wolframalpha.com) is a "computational knowledge engine" that essentially enables you to enter a question or calculation to receive an answer.  This is different from a traditional search engine, which essentially returns a list of web pages that you can use to find your answer.  Wolfram Alpha essentially computes the answer and returns it to you.  If you are a Douglas Adams fan, you'll recall a similar computer system conceptualized in his famous book "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".

This type of website obviously does not replace traditional search, but it does provide a very powerful compliment to the existing internet resources at our disposal.

There are several example search terms on the site that provide insight as to the data now at your fingertips.

A convenient way to use Wolfram Alpha is to add the FireFox plugin "Wolfram Alpha Google" (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/12006).  This plugin automatically queries Wolfram Alpha during your normal Google search terms, providing results when available.  This is by far the most efficient way to tap into this new knowledge base.  Wolfram Alpha search results are displayed to the right side of your browser, as shown below.

If you are a Douglas Adams fan, you'll recall a similar computer system in his famous book "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy".  It is important to note that Wolfram Alpha returns the same answer.  We asked Wolfram Alpha for the answer to life, the universe, and everything, and the results are below.