Making all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone

Jun 16, 2009 13:17 GMT  ·  By

The “computational knowledge engine” known as Wolfram|Alpha is now available in iPhone format as well, with a dedicated iPhone application not being too far either, those responsible with the service have announced. You can add the Wolfram|Alpha icon to your home screen, while those interested in a Wolfram|Alpha iPhone app can join the discussions and share their thoughts and ideas regarding how it should be.

“We love all the feedback that comes pouring in from the Wolfram|Alpha community, and iPhone users have been begging to have Wolfram|Alpha just a touch away since the beginning,” the folks behind this just-emerging, yet valuable, online service say. “We invite you to checkout the Wolfram|Alpha iPhone and iPod mobile page that lets you compute queries, watch the Wolfram|Alpha overview video, view our gallery of examples, and more, all while on the go,” the team adds.

“Wolfram|Alpha's long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone,” a message on the Wolfram|Alpha blog reads. “We aim to collect and curate all objective data; implement every known model, method, and algorithm; and make it possible to compute whatever can be computed about anything. Our goal is to build on the achievements of science and other systematizations of knowledge to provide a single source that can be relied on by everyone for definitive answers to factual queries.”

“Wolfram|Alpha is an ambitious, long-term intellectual endeavor that we intend will deliver increasing capabilities over the years and decades to come. With a world-class team and participation from top outside experts in countless fields, our goal is to create something that will stand as a major milestone of 21st century intellectual achievement,” the team concludes.

The post also reveals that there is wide interest in a full-fledged Wolfram|Alpha application for iPhone and iPod touch, as well as other portables. The developers would like you to tell them how that app should be. You can start here, in the comments, and then move to the Wolfram|Alpha Community site.