This party has been saying for a long time that Google and Wikipedia as models for how inteligent search should be done … well they leave a lot to be desired. Enter Wolfram Alpha. Yes, the makers of Mathematica have created a new search engine that is “computationaly smart”. Or as Wolfram phrases it – the Computational knowledge engine.
Try it – by entering any chemical formula (HPO3), food (blueberries), Stocks (Exxon, Chevron), date (January 1, 1), mathematical formula [sin(x)*(x^3-10*x^2+24*x – 176] and Wolfram has suggestions for about half a dozen others. I certainly wish I had this available for Physical Chemistry class or before diet lunch each day.
See the following reaction to Wolfram Alpha among British web gurus.