Comparing Apples and Oranges with Wolfram Alpha

I took some time out yesterday to play around with Wolfram|Alpha, a "computational knowledge engine" from the same people who brought us Mathematica software. A hybrid between a search engine, a graphing calculator and an encyclopedia, Wolfram|Alpha can solve complex equations, decode scientific formulas, compare stocks, provide historical comparisons, blend colors and play musical notes.

My experiment with the search features wasn't all that noble. I decided to compare nutritional information for french fries from three major fast food joints ("McDonalds fries vs Burger King fries vs Wendy fries"). Wolfram|Alpha gave me the single size nutritional information for each chain (Wendy's has a larger serving size than the other two) and then gave me charts which compared them based on calories, carbohydrates and other fun nutritional facts. If you're wondering, a single serving of McDonalds fries is the smallest, and also the healthiest choice of the three. I also did a search on my name (very popular when I was born) and the ideal weight for someone my height (due to my love of fries, it's much less than my real weight).

Wolfram|Alpha is so different from anything I had ever worked with that it took me some effort to figure out why I'd want to use it. Honestly, I'm still not sure I would. On the other hand, a friend of mine who teaches math at the college level says that he likes to use it in class occasionally. Either way, it was fun to try out and I'll keep it in mind for future uses. Oh, and in case you're wondering, you can compare apples and oranges, too.

If you're intrigued by Wolfram|Alpha, you might want to drop in on October 21, 2009 for their first "Homework Day." From Noon CDT until 2am the next day, you'll enjoy interviews, live Q&A's and examples of how to use Wolfram|Alpha in classroom settings from Kindergarten through college.

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• My Wolfram|Alpha profile
• Try Wolfram|Alpha
• Enjoy Wolfram|Alpha Homework Day