This is actually a really good idea and I wonder if Wolfram and Co. have considered this.
Additional note: I get super pumped when I read something on HN and I think to myself "Damn! That is a fine idea." It always makes me grin.
Additional note: I get super pumped when I read something on HN and I think to myself "Damn! That is a fine idea." It always makes me grin.
The ontology of Wolfram Alpha is involved. Those professional researchers in Champaign who understand how to talk to Wolfram Alpha are not getting their data from simple Google searches and then citing their sources. This is a complex process even for simple data points. If Wolfram Alpha has a need for Mechanical Turk it would be to catch mistakes or maybe do information triage - but Stephen made clear he doesn't want quasi experts going anywhere near the research department.