# You've got to check this out! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418 "2010-05-31T20:34:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/1 "2010-05-31T20:34:57Z")
Truly I’d describe it to you, but I could never do it justice. It’s a wicked cool search engine, has to be seen to be believed. Check this out: Watch the Introduction first: [http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html](http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html) Then save the Site in your favorites: ``` http://www.wolframalpha.com/ ``` ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/2 "2010-05-31T20:43:06Z")
It’s not as smart as it thinks - I asked it who shot first, Han or Greedo? And it returned the population of Japan. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/3 "2010-05-31T20:46:04Z")
Amazing. Someone please ask it the 14 g of th (or what ever the hell that riddle was). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/4 "2010-05-31T20:58:07Z")
I’ve had this bookmarked for the last year or so. It’s fantastic for a lot of things, although it works best if you’re after something quite specific. I find Google is still better for more general stuff. Wolfram Alpha is part search engine, part calculating tool, part statistical database. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/5 "2010-05-31T21:01:32Z")
Heh. I asked it “What is the meaning of life?” Answer: 42. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/6 "2010-05-31T21:02:34Z")
Q: Why? A: Because. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/7 "2010-06-02T16:45:36Z")
Gotta give this a bump, try this: How many roads must a man walk down? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/8 "2010-06-02T17:25:47Z")
Apparently William Kotzwinkle wrote the book of love. Good to know. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/9 "2010-06-02T17:45:26Z")
I finally stumped it with the perennial nugget: Does a dog have Buddha nature? ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/10 "2010-06-02T17:47:47Z")
Q: Are we there yet? A: Not yet, but getting close. (I still like Elaine Boozler’s answer better: Yes, get out of the car.) ---
**Author:** ![canadiankorean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@canadiankorean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/canadiankorean)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/11 "2010-06-02T18:01:43Z")
Along these lines, I heard on “Stuff you should know” podcast that they use Galileo for information. What is that? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/12 "2010-06-02T19:25:20Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > It’s not as smart as it thinks - I asked it who shot first, Han or Greedo? And it returned the population of Japan. I asked it why they changed Darrins and got a statistical distribution of the ages of people named Darrin. ---
**Author:** ![RalfCoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@RalfCoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RalfCoder)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/13 "2010-06-02T20:04:18Z")
I asked “What are the 3 words ending in ‘gry’?” and got nothing useful. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/14 "2010-06-02T20:13:58Z")
Q: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A: A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could if a woodchuck could chuck wood. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/15 "2010-06-02T21:39:01Z")
I asked the classic question from the opening line of Oak’s Anthem (well, ok, you mortals still insist on calling it _Free Bird_), ie “If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?”. Got back mostly a list of apparently famous people that died on Billy Joe McAllister Day in the past. Did not even get a mention of poor Billy Joe, much less the immortal Rock Gods, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Color me…unimpressed. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/16 "2010-06-02T21:46:38Z")
Apparently “lozenge” rhymes with “Orange”. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/17 "2010-06-02T22:03:09Z")
What is the average price of all grades of gasoline per gallon in London? A. Data not available. I’m verily underwhelmed. ETA: > [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > Gotta give this a bump, try this: > > How many roads must a man walk down? > > 😃 Ok, that made me chuckle. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/18 "2010-06-03T01:32:50Z")
can a swallow carry a coconut? > [@](#): > > It’s not a question of where he grips it! It’s a simple question of weight ratios! A five-ounce bird could not carry a one-pound coconut. > (according to King Arthur in the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail) Great site, albeit limited. I do a lot of soft fact checking in my editorial work. Most contracts don’t call for any, but if something sticks out or I want to verification of a statement, it sometimes works very quickly. I’ve had it bookmarked for a long time now, back before it was publicly available (never got far with beta testing though). It has definitely improved and far from its ultimate ambition. Good to have though. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/19 "2010-06-03T04:33:28Z")
> [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](#): > > Apparently “lozenge” rhymes with “Orange”. > > Huh. By that logic, so would Stonehenge… ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youve-got-to-check-this-out/541418/20 "2010-06-03T08:45:44Z")
Yea, I occasionally use it for to try and get graphs of economic information. Supposedly it has a huge database of such information to draw on, but I have had pretty limited success even with that pretty basic stuff. So meh.