Wolfram Alpha: computation for everyone, for free
Wolfram Research, probably most known for their Mathematica calculation product, has launched an online service which makes various calculations and visualizations for free, and with just a web browser:
This project makes me really respect Wolfram. I spent quite some time browsing the examples, almost exclusively from the “mathematics” part, picking like a shy visitor at other areas. Some of my online friends write that “knowledge becomes less of a fashion in our times”. I do not agree a bit. Just look at this product.
Read his “A New Kind of Science” and all the stories surrounding it, if you’ve got too much respect for him.
If you provide a specific link, there will be more chances that I in fact read it
[update:] Do you mean http://www.wolframscience.com/nksonline ? Hm, reading 800+ pages is something I have not done since long time :-\
[update:] But no matter what is written in this book – my expression of respect was to the cool site. I’m not familiar with other things Stephen Wolfram did, and do not mean that I automatically respect him in advance for anything else he has done