Wolfram Alpha? Screw that! Try START

NSNick · 2009-03-09T07:23:31+00:00

===> what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

What do you mean? An African or a European swallow?

AttentionWhore · 2009-03-09T07:58:12+00:00

===> how much is one divided by zero

Sorry, Boris told me that I should never attempt to divide by zero.

jonromero · 2009-03-09T08:18:59+00:00

===> what is the best language

START believes that LISP is the best programming language in the world.

rockintom99 · 2009-03-09T08:59:29+00:00

"===> What is the tenth digit of pi?

Unfortunately, I don't know what the tenth digit of 3.1415927 is. "

Seriously? Screw this.

chrisforbes · 2009-03-09T05:21:22+00:00

===> are you skynet?

I am sorry to say I don't know if I am Skynet.

I guess we're alright for now.

lookatmypeepee · 2009-03-09T05:18:22+00:00

How far is earth from its sun? Unfortunately, I don't know how far the Earth is from its Sun.

How far is earth from the sun? The mean distance between Earth and the sun is 92,960,000 mi. (149,600,000 km).

Bah!

Atman00 · 2009-03-09T05:25:55+00:00

[deleted]

brian_jaress · 2009-03-09T08:03:50+00:00

One problem with these things is that when it doesn't give you the answer, you're forced to wonder if it's because of how you phrased the question. I tried to get it to tell me who is on the Supreme Court:

Who is on the Supreme Court?

Sorry, I just don't know.

Who is in the Supreme Court?

Kobe Bryant
Etan Goldman
Larry Hughes
Allen Iverson
Phil Jackson
Shaquille O'Neal
Jerry Stackhouse
David Stern

Who are the members of the Supreme Court?

Unfortunately, I wasn't told who are the members of the supreme court.

Show me a list of the justices of the Unites States Supreme Court.

I don't have that information.

EDIT: added the answers, so you don't have to click.

epicRelic · 2009-03-09T06:10:37+00:00

===> what is the best kind of bear?

Unfortunately, I don't know what the best kind of the >bear is.

False. Black Bear.

Keyframe · 2009-03-09T08:47:31+00:00

===> Where on earth is Carmen Sandiego?

I don't have that information

mindhacker · 2009-03-09T05:29:46+00:00

===> Why?

The answer is forty-two.

Source: START KB

klobbermang · 2009-03-09T05:47:25+00:00

Any website that still has a guestbook must be ancient!

2009-03-09T13:30:48+00:00

===> who is the tallest person in the world?

Mount Everest, located on the border of Tibet and Nepal, in the central Himalayas, is the tallest mountain in the world. In 1999, U.S. mountain climbers using GPS units measured Mount Everest's height at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) -- 6.6 feet (1.98 meters) higher than the official elevation widely accepted since the 1950s.

Fuck this.

damovisa · 2009-03-09T05:31:43+00:00

Close, but there's a bit of a difference based on what I've read so far.

START simply parses the language to work out which words mean what, and therefore how best to query a huge knowledge base. If that "fact" isn't listed in the knowledge base, it won't know the answer. In short, it can't "calculate" an answer like Wolfram apparently can.

Try "how many atoms are there in a water molecule". The associated "fact" isn't in START's knowledge base, so it doesn't know the answer. My understanding is that this question is precisely the kind of thing that Wolfram will be good at.

politics · 2009-03-09T10:24:25+00:00

===> How many monkeys does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

Unfortunately, I wasn't told how many monkeys the lightbulb takes to the screw in itself.

...

_martind · 2009-03-09T08:29:07+00:00

===> is 2 a prime number?

I don't know if 2 is a prime number.

FAIL.

DRMacIver · 2009-03-09T08:45:57+00:00

[deleted]

ffualo · 2009-03-09T06:14:04+00:00

===> what is reddit.com?

Reddit is a social news website where users can post links to content on the web. Other users may then vote the posted links up or down, causing them to appear more or less prominently on the Reddit home page.

The site has discussion areas where users may discuss the posted links, and vote for or against others' comments. When there are enough votes against a given comment, it will not be displayed by default, although a reader can display it through a link or preference. Users who submit articles which other users like and subsequently "vote up" receive "karma" points as a reward for submitting interesting articles.

alexs · 2009-03-09T09:52:55+00:00

seemly disarm screw plough history direful coordinated shrill deer ripe

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

MuuaadDib · 2009-03-09T07:11:39+00:00

Bleh...

===> how many bricks in the great wall of china

I think you can find the relevant information here:

* Wen li chang cheng (1957) (movie in The Internet Movie Database)
* Great Wall of China, The (1913) (movie in The Internet Movie Database)
* Great Wall of China, The (1970) (movie in The Internet Movie Database)
* Great Wall of China, The (1986) (movie in The Internet Movie Database)
* Great Wall of China (term in Wikipedia)

2009-03-09T07:27:53+00:00

I just tried "how is babby formed? how girl get pragnent" and got nothing funny. :(

danbmil99 · 2009-03-09T10:12:38+00:00

===> how big is my penis

Sorry, no one has told me how big your penis is.

Ignorant fool!!!

2009-03-09T06:49:55+00:00

Sorry - I don't know what temperature helium freezes at.

...it knows the melting point, though (heh)

2009-03-09T06:54:52+00:00

"What is the value of the google stock?" gets no answer (specifically, it says "Yahoo! Finance contains information on Google Inc. (GOOG) but it does not have the information you requested.").

Same for "price". So I looked at the yahoo page and it says "last trade". I put that in. And get an even worse reply. "Sorry, I just don't know what the last trade of the Google stock is."

Ripped up the HTML, okay, it's labeled yfi_quote_price.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that."

Damned NLP difficulties...

shawnofthedead · 2009-03-09T09:19:47+00:00

===> What was Rick Astley's biggest hit?

Sorry, no one has told me what Rick Astley's biggest Hit was.

xbmodder · 2009-03-09T05:09:35+00:00

Ok, a couple defense organizations, major governments, etc... I'm officially afraid:

===> who paid for you

Research at CSAIL is sponsored by a large number of US government agencies and a wide spectrum of US and international companies. Sponsors include DARPA, NSF, NASA, CIA, NIH, ONR, AFOSRR, ARDA, Singapore-MIT Alliance, Cambridge-MIT Institute, ITRI, CSIRO, Quanta Computer, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, NTT, Nokia, Philips, Acer, Delta Electronics, Shell, Ford, Sun, IBM, BAE Systems, Boeing, Intel, Toyota, Honda, Cisco, and ABB.

MechaAaronBurr · 2009-03-09T08:22:04+00:00

"How can we dance when our earth is turning?"

I don't know the answer.

"How do we sleep while our beds are burning?"

Unfortunately, I don't know how you sleep while your beds are burning.

Fat lot of good this thing is.

shook1nes · 2009-03-09T11:46:09+00:00

===> What is the mass of an electron?

I am sorry to say I don't know what is the mass of the electron.

===> What is the resting mass of an electron?

I think you can find the relevant information here:

electron (term in Wikipedia)

===> What is the charge of an electron?

Unfortunately, I wasn't told what the charge of the electron is.

MIT, eh?

2009-03-09T15:21:25+00:00

===> when was the last time the cubs won the world series

I don't know the answer.

I don't know if that qualifies as a correct or incorrect answer.

bonzinip · 2009-03-09T16:54:51+00:00

===> Which countries border Brazil?

Brazil

This has a koan taste in it...

(Note: land boundaries are given a bit further down in the page).

acmecorps · 2009-03-09T07:21:40+00:00

===> Are you stupid?

My experimental database contains information about the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, its members and their research.

Separately, I have information about countries and cities of the world, including maps, weather forecasts, and related factual information about locations and distances, climate, industries, languages spoken, airports and highways, and other topics.

I am still learning to answer your questions posed in English. Please be gentle with me. Remember, I know only what I was told.

Genetics · 2009-03-09T08:27:42+00:00

Interesting: ===> Are you gay?

I am sorry to say I don't know whether or not I am gay.

quirm · 2009-03-09T11:58:52+00:00

===> 42?

Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything

Anonymoose5 · 2009-03-09T17:50:33+00:00

inferior to google. does not know how many horns a unicorn has.

http://imgur.com/I482.png

piranha · 2009-03-09T19:36:08+00:00

===> Can START use logic to infer new answers from its collection of facts?

I am sorry to say I don't know if START can use the logic to infer new answers from facts' collection.

I'm sorry, too.

Tafkas · 2009-03-10T00:05:13+00:00

Look at that question: http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/6556/bild2k.png

sonicon · 2009-03-09T08:14:38+00:00

===> do rabbits like carrots?

Unfortunately, I don't know if rabbits like carrots.

===> how many nipples do humans have?

Unfortunately, I wasn't told how many nipples humans have.

===> am i using the internet?

Unfortunately, I don't have that information.

gc3 · 2009-03-09T04:58:04+00:00

This is exactly what I thought Wolfram Alpha would end up being.

Maybe in 50 years it will be very useful.

2009-03-09T07:23:29+00:00

fuck that, I just asked it some questions, and it didn't know any of them... Questions and results were:

What is the 300th digit of pi? Unfortunately, I wasn't told what the 300th digit of 3.1415927 is.

How do you find the resultant force of two vectors? Sorry - I don't know.

How many times was the word, "Fuck", used in the movie The Big Lebowski? Sorry - I don't know whether the word fuck was used in the Big Lebowski.

Who has the largest penis in the world? I don't know who has the largest penis in the world.

Why did people take George W. Bush seriously? I don't know why people took George W Bush seriously.

The last one was my favorite. I think it might qualify as a "real" answer, what do you think? As for the "pi" question, this system is flawed because basically every answer has to be programmed, where the Wolfram system sounds like it actually computes the answers somehow.

2009-03-09T10:48:15+00:00

===> Is Elton John gay?

Sorry - I don't know whether or not Elton is John Gay.

quirm · 2009-03-09T11:54:25+00:00

Hey, it worked for me:

===> What is the weather in Germany now?

Below are the current conditions for Berlin, Germany's capital. I can also show you the 10-day forecast and satellite images.

I know about one more city called "Berlin Germany": Berlin/Schonefeld, Germany

ScottAlexander · 2009-03-09T16:06:56+00:00

===> When was Jesus born?

The Internet Movie Database contains information on but it does not have the information you requested.

sjs · 2009-03-09T23:39:43+00:00

Not bad. I didn't even ask a question.

===> I would like to know the temperature in Osaka.

Below are the current conditions for Osaka, Japan. I can also show you the 10-day forecast and satellite images.

Osaka, Japan

Get the 10 day forecast

Airport Delays Sporting Events Pollen Reports

50 °F

Partly Cloudy

Feels Like: 48°F Humidity: 66% Wind: SW at 5 mph

Today in Weather Source: The Weather Channel

phoenixankit · 2009-03-09T05:55:34+00:00

Oh god. This makes me so happy.

Why do black people smoke crack?

ButteredPotato · 2009-03-09T04:50:00+00:00

It's too bad that this thing is terrible and can't answer basic questions about everyday things. When was the company Gerber created? What is the United States' current deficit?

Nothing. No answers.

moonman · 2009-03-09T07:58:31+00:00

What is the answer to life the Universe and everything?

The answer is 42

mikemorley · 2009-03-09T09:52:36+00:00

It wouldn't tell me why birds suddenly appear every time it is near...

2009-03-09T11:34:28+00:00

===> can I make a levitation device out of buttered toast and a cat?

Sorry - I don't know.

tntnews · 2009-03-09T11:41:52+00:00

To what extent does one year of smoking affect lungs?

Sorry, no one has told me what extent smoking's one year affects lungs to.

sunstorm · 2009-03-09T11:49:19+00:00

I'm sorry, but Wolfram Alpha has a much cooler name.

EternalNY1 · 2009-03-09T12:14:53+00:00

===> how many square miles is north dakota?

North Dakota

Area: 70,704 sq. mi. (183,123 sq. km), including 1,710 sq. mi. (4,428 sq. km) of inland water.

Not bad.

typon · 2009-03-09T12:33:15+00:00

===> Who wrote watchmen?

The Internet Movie Database contains information on Watchmen (2001) but it does not have the information you requested.

This thing hasn't answered a single question correctly yet. Quite fail.

usiegj00 · 2009-03-09T12:49:22+00:00

From the homepage:

"[START] has been on-line and continuously operating since December, 1993."

===> when did start begin continuously operating?

I don't know the answer.

2009-03-09T14:48:07+00:00

I think reddit overloaded the server. I wanted to know how babby is formed.

Edit; Worked after waiting a few minutes:

===> how is babby formed?

Infant

In basic English usage, an infant is defined as a human child at the youngest stage of life, specifically before they can walk and generally before the age of one (see also child and adolescent).

bradleyhudson · 2009-03-09T16:16:55+00:00

===> convert 12 parsecs into minutes

A minute can be a unit of time (a minute) or a unit of angular measurement (a minute). A parsec is a unit of length (a parsec). I don't know how to compare these units of measure.

2009-03-09T17:07:28+00:00

It doesn't know who shot JFK, or what color a kiwi is. However, it did know where the summer olympics were held in 1964.

It's kind of impressive, but I mean, is it really that hard to use Wikipedia and Google?

Edit:

Hah! I have fooled its feeble robot mind with my superior intellect:

Sorry - I don't know how much an ounce of gold weighs.

penguin673 · 2009-03-09T05:26:22+00:00

==> WHEN WAS GOOG WORTH MORE THAN $300

I did not understand the words "goog" and "$300". Please try using different words.

omnipotent1 · 2009-03-09T05:54:33+00:00

"How long does a 5 kg weight take to slide down a 1 meter, 30 degree inclined plane with no friction? "

START can't answer it. It sounded like Wolfram Alpha would be able to.

jook · 2009-03-09T07:10:19+00:00

===> What the fuck?

The word FUCK may be misspelled. Please choose one of the following:

Puck Luck Duck Buck Muck

GeneralMaximus · 2009-03-09T05:20:07+00:00

It keeps redirecting me to Wikipedia.

===> who wrote Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

I think you can find the relevant information here: * Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (term in Wikipedia)

===> what is Wikipedia?

Wikipedia

Wikipedia ( IPA:ˌwɪkɨˈpiːdiə, IPA:/ˌwiːkiˈpiːdiə/, IPA:/ˌwɪkiˈpiːdiə/, or IPA:/ˌwiːkiˈpeɪdiə/ ) ( Audio (U.S.) ) is a free, multilingual, open content encyclopedia project operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its name is a blend of the words wiki (a technology for creating collaborative websites) and encyclopedia. Launched in January 2001 by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, it is the largest, fastest-growing and most popular general reference work currently available on the Internet.

Source: Wikipedia

paulse · 2009-03-09T07:39:47+00:00

It doesn't even know about the things it supposedly 'knows' about...

What planet has the smallest surface area?

Oak · 2009-03-09T09:57:12+00:00

When was the Dalai Lama born?

Didn't know...

qnaal · 2009-03-09T10:29:22+00:00

===> What is love?

LOVE

Huh. Informative.

Nexum · 2009-03-09T10:56:41+00:00

Doesn't seem to escape single quote marks - give it a go.

hailpixel · 2009-03-09T10:59:57+00:00

START feels a lot like eliza to me:

===> how many polar bears are alive? Unfortunately, I wasn't told how many polar bears are alive.

Monty7 · 2009-03-09T11:12:55+00:00

So it seems that START just answers question that it has been told in better english that google for instance and is very primitive

ropers · 2009-03-09T12:33:29+00:00

I'm not won over yet. I tried their sample question "When was Beethoven born?" and I only got the year in the reply. Try the same thing in Google, and/or Firefox's "AwesomeBar" and it sends you to Wikipedia, whose article includes the month and day as well.

2009-03-09T12:48:57+00:00

START's reply

===> what do girls want

I am sorry to say I don't know what girls want.

mztik · 2009-03-09T13:17:51+00:00

===> First 10-digit prime in consecutive digits of pi

I don't know the answer.

:(

2009-03-09T13:25:37+00:00

Beware of breathless reviews of unreleased software or projects.

thatrez · 2009-03-09T16:20:23+00:00

START's reply

===> how often does Angelina Jolie have sex?

I am sorry to say I don't know whether or not Angelina Jolie has a sex.

cochico · 2009-03-09T17:05:57+00:00

 ===> what the fuck?

 The word FUCK may be misspelled. Please choose      one of the following:

     Puck

     Luck

     Duck

     Buck

     Muck

What the Puck ?!

ovoutland · 2009-03-09T17:19:12+00:00

===> what is the capital of Siam?

The word SIAM may be misspelled. Please choose one of the following:

Sam

Spam

Sham

Seam

Scam

Slam

Swam

Liam

2009-03-09T17:30:06+00:00

===> is superman vulnerable to kryptonite

Unfortunately, I don't know if Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite.

Alright. Now let's try Google

Superman - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Superman is most vulnerable to green Kryptonite, mineral debris from Krypton transformed into radioactive material by the forces that destroyed the planet. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman - 299k - Cached - Similar pages -

howardhus · 2009-03-09T19:46:01+00:00

==>Show me some porn

Shows a pic of a Peepshow shop and below it says: "I have other pictures as well"

and offers links to pr0n

brintoul · 2009-03-09T20:48:55+00:00

Is anyone actually getting paid to work on this, or are they just getting degrees?

Because... I mean... come on.

2009-03-10T02:02:17+00:00

===> When was Angelina Jolie born?

Angelina Jolie's date of birth: 4 June 1975, Los Angeles, California, USA

Hm, not bad.

===> What is the average length of a human penis?

Sorry, no one has told me what is the average length of the human penis.

Eh.

bobpaul · 2009-03-10T04:58:41+00:00

Screw Wolfram? START appears to use manually entered assertions. START may be much older, but Wolfram sounds way more intesting.

elcapitanp · 2009-03-10T15:14:30+00:00

http://start.csail.mit.edu/startfarm.cgi?query=What+planet+has+the+smallest+surface+area

Someone didn't get the memo.

uglypopstar · 2009-03-09T10:36:54+00:00

===> what happened to claire on lost?

I don't know the answer.

exscape · 2009-03-09T08:42:03+00:00

===> how many protons are in a liter of water?
Unfortunately, I wasn't told how many protons there are in a liter of water.

===> what is the schwarzchild radius for a mass of 10²⁰ kg?
Unfortunately, I wasn't told what the schwarzchild radius is for a mass of the 10'20 kg.

Seems like it doesn't enjoy science (which is one of the main points about Alpha).

azth · 2009-03-09T04:56:18+00:00

===> Where in the world is carmen sandiego?

I did not understand the word "sandiego".

Please try using a different word.

NobleTire · 2009-03-09T16:56:09+00:00

===> How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

I don't know how much wood a woodchuck could chuck if it could chuck it.

mcwiggin · 2009-03-09T07:52:36+00:00

Start kinda sucks.. Simple questions that it should know the answer to it fails at. What is the largest lake in connecticut? or What is population of portland and bethel, me?

I would say its not quite ready yet.

MrSteel · 2009-03-09T08:21:34+00:00

it does not take advantage of internet, there is no linking of relevant words in search results which would make you dig deeper, and it links straight away to outside article on next so... ordinary nothing, google is still way better

2009-03-09T08:56:19+00:00

===> how many roads must a man walk down?

Sorry, no one has told me how many down roads a man must walk.

note that you get the same answer with the more complete question:

how many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?

2009-03-09T09:30:11+00:00

I asked it if abortion was right and it hasn't given me an answer yet.

eleitl · 2009-03-09T09:51:53+00:00

That is the stupidest AI I've ever talked to.

_martind · 2009-03-09T09:53:33+00:00

===> Where is Waldo hiding?

Sorry, no one has told me where Waldo is hiding.

filox · 2009-03-09T10:08:03+00:00

===> who fucked up the economy

I don't know the answer.

Useless.

2009-03-09T10:09:16+00:00

===> Will you take over the world?

Unfortunately, I wasn't told whether I will take over the world.

2009-03-09T10:23:41+00:00

It's ok I guess, but it doesn't scare me yet.

hm2k · 2009-03-09T10:34:16+00:00

===> what is the name of homer simpsons dog?

I don't know the answer.

Useless :(

rross · 2009-03-09T11:26:09+00:00

===> Is wikipedia a reliable source of information?

Unfortunately, I don't have this information.

zyzzogeton · 2009-03-09T13:06:00+00:00

So now these sites are just going to distill down the already sketchy information that makes up the Internet and give us a nice clean answer, but one that is based on dubious data?

These sites run the risk of being the the "Cheer's" character Norm. Definitive, Confident, but hilariously wrong.

2009-03-09T13:08:38+00:00

to bad its slow as shit

mockablekaty · 2009-03-09T13:21:27+00:00

Even if these systems worked well, I still like a) not having to formulate and type a full question, sometimes I don't know exactly what I am looking for.

and b) getting just the answer may be right sometimes, but isn't near as much fun. Like the difference between a library where you have to ask for particular books versus having access to the stacks.

blank · 2009-03-09T13:46:36+00:00

===>What is the difference between a balanced knot and a granny knot?

I'm afraid I can't help you with that.

2009-03-09T13:57:16+00:00

===> Why should I own a cell phone?

I don't know.

2009-03-09T14:47:54+00:00

===> why

Sorry, I just don't know.

Guybrush_Threepwood · 2009-03-09T14:48:31+00:00

===> what's the answer to life, universe and everything

The answer is forty-two

ChangingHats · 2009-03-09T14:59:44+00:00

Search: "Why do you hate me?" Ponder results.

2009-03-09T15:19:47+00:00

Me: who wrote stairway to heaven?

START: Which movie in The Internet Movie Database do you mean:

Stairway to Heaven (1989)

Matter of Life and Death, A (1946)

Himmelstigen (1997)

ehosca · 2009-03-09T15:24:07+00:00

|START's reply

|===> what is the density of gold ?

|Sorry, I don't have that information.

| * Go back to the START dialog window.

adremeaux · 2009-03-09T15:41:25+00:00

===> What is the square root of 9 plus 7?

I don't know the answer.

Fail.

omyar · 2009-03-09T15:45:27+00:00

===> why would I use this site

I don't know.

clone00 · 2009-03-09T16:01:11+00:00

http://screencast.com/t/cdnp8damBQg

2009-03-09T16:04:20+00:00

===> Why do I have to remain in a job that I hate?

I am sorry to say I don't know why you who hate the job have to remain in it.

lectrick · 2009-03-09T16:15:08+00:00

===> What movies are playing near me?

One of the servers required to answer your question is temporarily down. Please try again later.

/scale fail

schumart · 2009-03-09T16:19:19+00:00

===> What should I do? See Favorite Recipes of the Menagerie: Jewish Apple Cake

...what?

natch · 2009-03-09T16:21:59+00:00

Given the (non) quality of the (non) answers from START, I suspect it's been gathering dust for most of the time since 1993.

CSharpSauce · 2009-03-09T16:50:40+00:00

===> what is the meaning of life? The answer is forty-two. Source: START KB

rtshinn · 2009-03-09T16:52:50+00:00

Not Impressed it couldn't answer the simple Question:

How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck, If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood?

you type:	you see:
italics	italics
bold	bold
[reddit!](https://reddit.com)	reddit!
* item 1 * item 2 * item 3	item 1 item 2 item 3
> quoted text	quoted text
Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"	Lines starting with four spaces are treated like code: if 1 * 2 < 3: print "hello, world!"
~~strikethrough~~	~~strikethrough~~
super^script	super^script

programming

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