The Berlin Transmediale event Ideologies and Futures of the Internet that took place on Saturday, 6 February featured a keynote lecture by Conrad Wolfram, Director of Strategic and International Development at the well-known software company Wolfram Research Inc., founded by his brother Stephen. At transmediale.10 Conrad Wolfram talked about the knowledge engine Wolfram Alpha and his vision of the future of knowledge and the Web.
The video of his lecture, entitled ‘Wolfram Alpha: Information, Computation and the New Era of Knowledge’, is available here.
In May 2009, Wolfram|Alpha launched to worldwide excitement. It introduced the new concept of “computational knowledge engine” — working out specific answers to queries made rather than picking out existing information like a traditional search engine.
Yet this is just one window into the Wolfram|Alpha project and its vision for all systematic knowledge: of curating, making computable and democratizing high-level use.
Which technologies make this feasible now? Can we democratize computational expertise as successfully as the web and search have democratized information retrieval? How will this affect the Knowledge Economy—business and government information, R&D and technical education?
Conrad Wolfram addressed these questions as well as explain the concept, workings, and progress of Wolfram|Alpha and its underlying Mathematica technology—built up over 23 years—that has made it possible.
Conrad Wolfram, physicist and mathematician, is strategic director of Wolfram Research as well as European managing director. Founded by his brother Stephen, Wolfram Research is the maker of Mathematica software and spin-off Wolfram|Alpha knowledge engine. A recurring theme for Conrad Wolfram has been the democratisation of computation through automation and interactivity. He argues that this direction will be increasingly important for technical jobs and everyday living; and that in turn this changes how we should teach mathematics and related subjects. He has led the effort to move the use of Mathematica from pure computation system to development and deployment engine, instigating technology such as the Mathematica Player family and webMathematica. He serves on the Computer science committee Advisory Board at Kings College London and was on the founding committee of the IMS conferences.