Keith’s note: Goodbye ADS – Hello SciX. According to an editorial “Farewell NASA ADS” in Nature magazine, “After more than 33 years, NASA’s Astrophysics Data System will close its virtual doors in November 2026 and be replaced by its much-expanded successor, Science Explorer. … Researchers whose work spans multiple fields — astrobiologists, for example — will be able to experience the joy of using ADS with substantially expanded search results, covering their entire discipline.”
So now that we are in the whole Super Intelligence (nee Artificial Intelligence) era where NASA and everyone else is charged with superintelligencing (sp) everything. Science Explorer (SciX) is dropping its new search version. Let’s see if it is better than what it replaces and if it is intelligent ‘super’ or otherwise.
I approached using SciX as a new user. Nature Magazine seemed to think that the astrobiology community would love it for its cross disciplinary goodies. But for a new improved product out in public beta – one wherein astrobiology fans are sought out as beneficiaries – well, I beg to differ. Given what passes for online information systems in this SI/AI era, SciX is not even a contender.
I’d submit an inquiry to NASA PAO to ask about all of this but there’s really no one home there designated to answer superintelligence for the agency – who can engage in a discussion about this – much less answer nerdy questions like mine. Anyway, back to my trial run. Full story Giving NASA’s SciX A Quick Astrobiology Roadtest at Astrobiology.com
