Get ready, because the world as we know it is going to change in May 2009, when Wolfram Alpha—a computational search engine that belongs in the Enterprise's computer—appears, giving you precise answers to everything.
That's what this thing is going to give us: A natural way to plug into the vast pool of information of the internet and ask questions like Kirk will do in Star Trek. At least according to Stephen Wolfram—who changed the world of mathematical research with his Mathematica software and, as genius go, he's up there with the best—and other scientists who have tried it. The new engine will be able to truly interpret your questions and give you a real, precise answer.
It won't use a database of preset questions, but it will have the ability to actually understand what you are asking. So if you ask "How many protons are in a lasagna for six people?", the system will be able to recognize, interpret, and answer the question.
We can only hope that nobody asks "what's the origin of the universe?" or we will all explode to hell. [Wolfram via Daily Mail]