{"slug": "wolfram-alpha", "name": "Wolfram Alpha", "category": "search", "category_name": "Search", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 4, "warners": 0, "score": 2.879, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2026-02-03", "latest": "2026-07-07", "why": "Wolfram Alpha was a genuinely useful and good tool, perfect for the times.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 1, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "Wolfram Alpha was a genuinely useful and good tool, perfect for the times.", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.wolframalpha.com", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Wolfram Alpha"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 781122848, "item_id": 48820178, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48820178", "by": "infinito25", "date": "2026-07-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "+1 to wolfram alpha.", "excerpt": "+1 to wolfram alpha. But just like Chegg, I thought wolfram alpha would be harshly affected by the AI disruption. I used it a lot in college but never since. Are current college folks still using it?", "context": "", "use_case": "math formulas, college", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Where are the good search engines for mathematical formulas?"}, {"id": 754253680, "item_id": 47140855, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47140855", "by": "atonse", "date": "2026-02-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Wolfram Alpha was a genuinely useful and good tool, perfect for the times.", "excerpt": "Same here. I've found the \"me me me\" a bit off-putting over the years, but can't deny that he is a genuinely smart, interesting, and forward thinking person. I especially enjoyed his writings on measuring every aspect of his life [1]. Also Wolfram (person and company) don't seem to be stodgy and stuck in old ways. At least as an outside observer (I'm not a mathematician, nor do I use Wolfram's main tools), seem to ha", "context": "not a mathematician", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Making Wolfram Tech Available as a Foundation Tool for LLM Systems"}, {"id": 749927201, "item_id": 46870450, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46870450", "by": "voidUpdate", "date": "2026-02-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "wolfram alpha where I need more than the specific answer, and some information around it might be useful", "excerpt": "I still use my casio fx-83gtx from time to time, if I'm doing something especially complicated. Having a physical devices feels nicer than using windows calculator or my phone. I use desmos for things where graphs would give more insight, and wolfram alpha where I need more than the specific answer, and some information around it might be useful", "context": "", "use_case": "detailed math answers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Do you still physical calculators?"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [{"by": "atonse", "context": "not a mathematician", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47140855", "date": "2026-02-24"}], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["math formulas, college", "quick calculations", "detailed math answers"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46834977", "title": "Ask HN: Do you still physical calculators?", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48787886", "title": "Ask HN: Where are the good search engines for mathematical formulas?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47129727", "title": "Making Wolfram Tech Available as a Foundation Tool for LLM Systems", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 2, "neutral": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 781122848, "item_id": 48820178, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48820178", "by": "infinito25", "date": "2026-07-07", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "+1 to wolfram alpha.", "excerpt": "+1 to wolfram alpha. But just like Chegg, I thought wolfram alpha would be harshly affected by the AI disruption. I used it a lot in college but never since. Are current college folks still using it?", "context": "", "use_case": "math formulas, college", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Where are the good search engines for mathematical formulas?"}, {"id": 754253680, "item_id": 47140855, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47140855", "by": "atonse", "date": "2026-02-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Wolfram Alpha was a genuinely useful and good tool, perfect for the times.", "excerpt": "Same here. I've found the \"me me me\" a bit off-putting over the years, but can't deny that he is a genuinely smart, interesting, and forward thinking person. I especially enjoyed his writings on measuring every aspect of his life [1]. Also Wolfram (person and company) don't seem to be stodgy and stuck in old ways. At least as an outside observer (I'm not a mathematician, nor do I use Wolfram's main tools), seem to ha", "context": "not a mathematician", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Making Wolfram Tech Available as a Foundation Tool for LLM Systems"}, {"id": 749942064, "item_id": 46871379, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46871379", "by": "david_wpg", "date": "2026-02-03", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "If I'm quickly adding something up, I use Wolfram Alpha or my phone.", "excerpt": "I like a physical calculator if I'm doing my taxes, monthly budget, or if I'm doing a lot of calculations. If I'm quickly adding something up, I use Wolfram Alpha or my phone.", "context": "", "use_case": "quick calculations", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Do you still physical calculators?"}, {"id": 749927201, "item_id": 46870450, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46870450", "by": "voidUpdate", "date": "2026-02-03", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "wolfram alpha where I need more than the specific answer, and some information around it might be useful", "excerpt": "I still use my casio fx-83gtx from time to time, if I'm doing something especially complicated. Having a physical devices feels nicer than using windows calculator or my phone. I use desmos for things where graphs would give more insight, and wolfram alpha where I need more than the specific answer, and some information around it might be useful", "context": "", "use_case": "detailed math answers", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: Do you still physical calculators?"}]}