Wolfram Alpha's web app samples often prove to be more helpful than its search results (Image credit: Wolfram) But there are so many examples that you’ll get the hang of it in no time, as long as you take the time to learn how to communicate with it.

Instead, you have to know how to search in Wolfram and the type of information to search for to get anywhere. For example, searches like “what are the healthiest foods,” “what’s on TV tonight,” and “Paleo diet” all returned nothing related to the search – when anything was returned at all. You can’t type just anything into Wolfram Alpha, like you can with Google, and expect to get results (or at least the right results). The search engine uses cookies, too, and while you can configure your browser (opens in new tab) to block cookies, the company says that may negatively impact your search results. Essentially, Wolfram Alpha can collect a lot of information about you, and it can be disclosed to third parties, as well as be used to add you to Wolfram’s mailing list (which you should be able to opt-out of). Wolfram Alpha is not a private search engine, and what they collect and how they use your information is laid out in their privacy policy (opens in new tab). And there are several examples for each subtopic to help you figure out what to search for and how to search. Think of what you may ask Alexa (or your voice assistant of choice) on a normal day – things like, “What time is it in London?” or “What size turkey do I need for 15 people?” That’s the sort of information Wolfram can help you out with, so long as you know how to enter the search query.

The Society and Culture and Everyday Life categories will be the most helpful for users.

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