A curiosity? A whimsy? What to make of Wolfram Alpha, a site serving up the world in numbers? The creators describe it as a "computational knowledge engine" running on "10+ trillion of pieces of data, 50,000+ types of algorithms and models, and linguistic capabilities for 1000+ domains".

The service uses code developed over 20 years by Wolfram Research as Mathematica, technical computing software.

You basically input a number or a query, which could be mathematical or a search term. The online service spits out related information from what is called a "curated" database, one in which items are hand-selected and tagged.

In addition to statistical queries, the site invites users to compute binomial coefficients, calculate and graph functions, among other topics. Wolfram Research says the concept is being introduced first as the website. It eventually wants to use the technology and a platform to create developer, professional and corporate versions. There will be custom versions for internal data and the ability to connect with other forms of content. They grandly commit to make "all the world's systematic knowledge computable".

"Our goal is to build on the achievements of science and other systematisations of knowledge to provide a single source that can be relied on by everyone for definitive answers to factual queries," they say.

The last statement underlines the emerging issue over the nature of knowledge and truth on the Internet. I am sure many will be battling wits with Wolfram Alpha, attempting to get it to spew up errors. But how do the rest of us know if the answers are correct, or how they were arrived at?

On Tuesday morning this week, the BBC's Radio Five had a group of panellists debating on the thought, as the announcer host put it: "Are search engines slowing our thought processes to a grinding halt?"

On one measure, the Internet rolls along, fuelled by a recycling of other people's ideas and work. The BBC programme was sparked by concern over how school children were using the Internet as a source without the necessary critical filters. As one panellist put it, is to adapt the approach to include teaching just that very critical facility.

There is no doubt that the Internet has put good knowledge and ideas at our fingertips, either at a superficial level with the quick search, or if you know how to look, more technical and in depth. But it has also mixed in the bad. As another put it, quoting a well known analysis, we are outsourcing our brain to the Internet.

That can be a positive. We can move beyond the facts and the search for them from a variety of reliable sources, including a physical library, to creating links. What is needed is a move to include a course in general research skills, that would include teaching skills in searching reference libraries, especially the Internet.

Despite the ubiquitous news of the death of newspapers, the Daily Telegraph has shown how the plain old media can leverage the Internet to do their jobs. The acquisition of the spending records of the spending habits of British MPs was a delightful opportunity to lay all the details before the public beyond the printed page.

Readers and other journalists got to see the evidence along with all the other visual bits of eye candy and information the news organisation had the time, wit and skill to throw at us. It was a well planned attack. I can imagine the pleasure the person must have who thought up of doing the running collection of items MPs spent the public money on. Photo topics of "Snacks" and "Gadgets" illustrated the on going scandal, as did the "20 most bizarre claims". This was a frivolous but fun way of backing up the harder articles.

An interactive MP guide was much appreciated. You click on the picture and you get a list of claims.

Videos, official documents and great images fill out the growing package.

If you like your art and you have an iTunes account try searching for the Tate Museum free series of podcasts, video clips and teacher packs about your chosen subject.

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