What is music, Wolfram|Alpha?
You may have heard of the new "knowledge engine" called Wolfram|Alpha. Billed as a step above the search engine, Wolfram|Alpha--which enjoyed its public debut this morning--delivers answers to queries directly, rather than pointing users to websites that then, in theory, answer their questions.
According to its website, "Our goal is to accept completely free-form input, and to serve as a knowledge engine that generates powerful results and presents them with maximum clarity."
With high hopes, then ChordStrike sat down with Wolfram|Alpha for the engine's first music interview. The following is edited from an hour-long interview that took place this morning. For a full-length interview, try it yourself...
ChordStrike: How old is Keith Richards?
Wolfram|Alpha: 65 years 5 months
ChordStrike: So far, so good, Wolfram|Alpha. Who wrote "Once in a Lifetime"?
Wolfram|Alpha: Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
Result: John Dower | Mark Monroe
Basic information: Paul Crowder (co-director) | John Dower (co-director)
Release date | July 7, 2006 (3 years ago)
Runtime | 97 minutes (1 hour 37 minutes)
Writers | John Dower | Mark Monroe; genres | documentary | sport
Box office total | $ 144601 (US dollars) (unadjusted)
ChordStrike: Sorry, but we were looking for the Talking Heads. Turning to musicals, then, how far is it from Oklahoma to Chicago?
Wolfram|Alpha: 683.7 miles
ChordStrike: Accurate and precise! OK, smarty pants, what is Mariah Carey's best song?
Wolfram|Alpha: Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure what to do with your input.
ChordStrike: No problem. The question doesn't make any sense to us, either. When did Thelonius Monk die?
Wolfram|Alpha: February 17, 1982
Daylight information for February 17, 1982 in Seattle, Washington:
sunrise | 7:12 am PST
sunset | 5:36 pm PST
duration of daylight | 10 hours 24 minutes
waning crescent moon
ChordStrike: Whoa, TMI! So you like jazz, do you? What are the 100 Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time?
Wolfram|Alpha: Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure what to do with your input.
ChordStrike: That's OK. We have the list right here. Finally, we understand you have a pretty busy day ahead of you, but one more question: What is music?
Wolfram|Alpha: music (English word)
Definitions:Show examples
Noun: activity | musical activity (singing or whistling etc.)
punishment | punishment for one's actions
euphony | any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds
auditory sensation | (music) the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or reproductions of such sounds)
auditory communication | an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
(5 meanings)
Word origins: Old French | Classical Latin | Greek
first recorded use: 1250 (759 years ago)
Typical word frequency: written | 1/6300 (rank: 593rd) 100% noun
spoken | 1/13000 (rank: 884th) 100% noun
(based on the 100-million-word British National Corpus
Pronunciation: (my\'oozik)
ChordStrike: Wow. Well, thanks for speaking with us today.
Wolfram|Alpha: Wolfram|Alpha isn't sure what to do with your input.
[How rude!]
--Jason Kirk
beelasush on May 19, 2009 at 01:00 PM
snarky..... your questions were VERY entertaining......