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Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Search engine

A search engine or search service is a document retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system, such as on the World Wide Web, inside a corporate or proprietary network, or in a personal computer. Search engines use regularly updated indexes to operate quickly and efficiently. The very first tool used for searching on the Internet was Archie. The name stands for "archive" without the "v". It was created in 1990 by Alan Emtage, a student at McGill University in Montreal. The program downloaded the directory listings of all the files located on public anonymous FTP (File Transfer Protocol) sites, creating a searchable database of filenames; however, Archie could not search by file contents. While Archie indexed computer files, Gopher indexed plain text documents. Gopher was created in 1991 by Mark McCahill at the University of Minnesota: Gopher was named after the school's mascot. Because these were text files, most of the Gopher sites became websites after the creation of the World Wide Web.

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Computers & Math News

October 5, 2025

HydroSpread, a breakthrough fabrication method, lets scientists build ultrathin soft robots directly on water. These tiny, insect-inspired machines could transform robotics, healthcare, and environmental ...
Scientists at OIST have, for the first time, directly tracked the elusive “dark excitons” inside atomically thin materials. These quantum particles could revolutionize information technology, as they are more stable and resistant to ...
In 2020, California’s Creek Fire became so intense that it generated its own thunderstorm, a phenomenon called a pyrocumulonimbus cloud. For years, scientists struggled to replicate these explosive fire-born storms in climate models, leaving major ...
A new AI tool called DOLPHIN exposes hidden genetic markers inside single cells, enabling earlier detection and more precise treatment choices. It also sets the stage for building virtual models of cells to simulate disease and drug ...
A powerful new AI tool called Diag2Diag is revolutionizing fusion research by filling in missing plasma data with synthetic yet highly detailed information. Developed by Princeton scientists and international collaborators, this system uses sensor ...
A team of physicists has discovered that virtual charges, which exist only during brief interactions with light, play a critical role in ultrafast material responses. Using attosecond pulses on diamonds, they showed these hidden carriers ...
Diraq has shown that its silicon-based quantum chips can maintain world-class accuracy even when mass-produced in semiconductor foundries. Achieving over 99% fidelity in two-qubit operations, the breakthrough clears a major hurdle toward ...
Researchers have discovered an unusual "quantum echo" in superconducting materials, dubbed the Higgs echo. This phenomenon arises from the interplay between Higgs modes and quasiparticles, producing distinctive signals unlike conventional echoes. By ...
Researchers are showing how phone sensors can track patterns tied to a wide range of mental health symptoms. Instead of relying only on self-reports, clinicians may soon be able to gather continuous, real-world data about patients. The study also ...
Scientists have developed a lens-free mid-infrared camera using a modern twist on pinhole imaging. The system uses nonlinear crystals to convert infrared light into visible, allowing standard sensors to capture sharp, wide-range images without ...
Penn engineers have taken quantum networking from the lab to Verizon’s live fiber network, using a silicon “Q-chip” that speaks the same Internet Protocol as the modern web. The system pairs classical and quantum signals like a train engine ...
A team at the University of St Andrews has unlocked a major step toward true holographic displays by combining OLEDs with holographic metasurfaces. Unlike traditional laser-based holograms, this ...

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