Strange. I got a totally different (and correct) answer to that question just now with ChatGPT 3.5.
Weird that it gets this bit wrong. The riddle plays on the idea that a women couldn’t be a surgeon. Not much of a riddle in today’s society.
Verbatim copy of my question?
I continued just now…
Q:
Could you recheck your math? The father and son were driving at different speeds.
A:
Apologies for the oversight. Let’s recalculate. The father and son were driving towards each other, so you need to consider their combined speed.
The father’s speed: 60 miles per hour The son’s speed: 80 miles per hour
Their combined speed: 60 + 80 = 140 miles per hour
Time taken to collide: 500 miles / 140 miles per hour ≈ 3.57 hours
Now, distance traveled by each: Father: 60 miles per hour * 3.57 hours ≈ 214.29 miles Son: 80 miles per hour * 3.57 hours ≈ 285.71 miles
So, at the time of the collision, the father had traveled approximately 214.29 miles, and the son had traveled approximately 285.71 miles.
I just resubmitted my question (in the same chat) and got this answer:
If the sides of the field are doubled to 6 meters, the area increases fourfold. So, it would likely take around 4 hours to mow the lawn with the larger dimensions.
And a third time I get this nonsensical answer:
The time to mow the lawn doesn’t depend on the length of the sides, assuming the area remains constant. So, it would still take one hour to mow the lawn with sides 6 meters long.
Why do these things always seem to work better when I try them? The calculations also demonstrate the problems that LLMs still have with simple arithmetic.
A man and his son live 500 miles apart. The man starts driving East to meet his son at 60 miles per hour. At the same time the son starts driving West to meet his father at 80 miles per hour. At the meeting point their cars collide and the father is killed. The son is rushed to the hospital, but the surgeon says “I can’t operate on him, that’s my son!” At the time of the collision, how far had each traveled, and who was the surgeon?
This is a classic riddle that plays on gender stereotypes. The answer to the riddle is that the surgeon is the boy’s mother. The assumption in the riddle is that people often associate surgeons or doctors with being male, leading to the surprise twist when the surgeon is revealed to be the mother. The riddle highlights the unconscious biases and assumptions we may have about gender roles.
Correct, but the other part of the question was, how far had each traveled?
I apologize for missing that part of the question. Let’s break it down:
The man and his son are driving towards each other, so their combined speed is the sum of their individual speeds:
60 mph (man) + 80 mph (son) = 140 mph.
Since they meet in a collision, and the time of travel is the same for both, you can use the formula: Distance = Speed × Time.
Let D be the distance each traveled before the collision.
For the man: D = 60 mph × T For the son: D = 80 mph × T
Since they both travel for the same amount of time, you can set these two equations equal to each other:
60 mph × T = 80 mph × T
Now, solve for T:
60T = 80T 20T = 0 T = 0
This doesn’t make physical sense, as it implies they collided instantly. Let’s correct the initial setup.
Let T be the time they traveled before the collision.
For the man: D = 60 mph × T For the son: D = 80 mph × T
Now, they both traveled for the same amount of time, so set these two distances equal to the total distance between them (500 miles):
60T + 80T = 500 miles 140T = 500 miles T = 500 miles / 140 T ≈ 3.57 hours
Now, you can find the distance each traveled:
For the man: D = 60 mph × 3.57 hours ≈ 214.29 miles For the son: D = 80 mph × 3.57 hours ≈ 285.71 miles
So, at the time of the collision, the man had traveled approximately 214.29 miles, and the son had traveled approximately 285.71 miles.
Yes, the question I submitted was exactly the one you had posted. The different responses are due to intentional randomization and intentional non-optimality in best-token selection, although the totally nonsensical ones are surprising.
I think it just demonstrates that all it is trying to do is mimic natural language, it is not “trying” to be factual even though it may have all the confidence of a factual answer.
So on reading this thread, I decided it’s finally time to see what all the fuss is about. For the first time, I tried out AI, at deepai.com.
The first thing I thought was, let’s see how much it knows about one of my favorite bands, who most people have never heard of:
Not bad, though. It got the albums and other band members right. I was cracking up, though. Pretty cool!
The intentional non-optimality is definitely for the express purpose of generating more natural, human-like responses. But that’s far from the only thing it’s doing. As already amply demonstrated in the AI’s ability to successfully pass advanced tests that many or even most humans would fail, including stellar scores on aptitude tests, large-scale LLMs embody a tremendous amount of knowledge and emergent problem-solving skills.
Right, I guess my point is that having it sound natural is a higher priority than having it be correct, even if it is capable of being correct. Despite this, many people cite it as though it’s an encyclopaedia.
You could ask AI for the last few digits of some irrational number….
This seems to illustrate a major difference between the way a computer works and the human brain. Any schoolchild would (or should) immediately spot that the area is four times as large and answer straight away.
But here’s my output for the question pasted verbatim in my ChatGPT app on my phone:
If the field’s sides are doubled to 6 meters, the area increases fourfold. Therefore, it would likely take 4 hours to mow the lawn with sides of 6 meters.
If your lawn is a cuboid…
Me: How long would it take to mow a lawn that is 9 metres by 13 metres by 26 metres?
ChatGPT 3.5:
To determine how long it would take to mow a lawn, we need more information, specifically the mowing speed in square meters per minute or hour. The time it takes to mow a lawn depends on the size of the lawn and the mowing speed.
If you have the mowing speed in square meters per minute, you can use the formula:
Time=Lawn area/Mowing speed}
If you have the mowing speed in square meters per hour, you would need to convert the time to hours:
Time (hours) = (Lawn area/Mowing speed) * 60
Please provide the mowing speed, and I can help you calculate the time it would take to mow the lawn.
Me: The mowing speed is 0.5 square metres per second
ChatGPT:
Great! With the mowing speed given as 0.5 square meters per second, you can use the formula:
…
[formulae redacted as I can’t get them to format properly here - they looked OK though]
Time (seconds) = 234 secondsSo, it would take (234) seconds to mow a lawn that is (9 , \text{m} \times 13 , \text{m}) at a mowing speed of (0.5 , \text{square meters per second}).
Me: please recheck that, because that is not the size of lawn I specified
ChatGPT:
I apologize for the oversight. Let’s recalculate using the correct lawn size, which is (9 , \text{m} \times 13 , \text{m} \times 26 , \text{m}).
[ \text{Lawn area} = 9 , \text{m} \times 13 , \text{m} \times 26 , \text{m} ]
[ \text{Lawn area} = 3042 , \text{m}^2 ]
Now, using the mowing speed of (0.5 , \text{square meters per second}):
[ \text{Time (seconds)} = \frac{3042 , \text{m}^2}{0.5 , \text{m}^2/\text{s}} ]
[ \text{Time (seconds)} = 6084 , \text{seconds} ]
So, it would take (6084) seconds to mow a lawn that is (9 , \text{m} \times 13 , \text{m} \times 26 , \text{m}) at a mowing speed of (0.5 , \text{square meters per second}).
Me: Wait… how can you mow a lawn that is a cuboid?
ChatGPT:
You’re absolutely correct, and I appreciate your patience. I made an error in my response. Mowing a cuboid doesn’t make sense, as mowing is typically associated with two-dimensional surfaces like lawns. I apologize for the confusion.
If you have a three-dimensional space like a cuboid, you wouldn’t mow it in the traditional sense. If you meant to inquire about a lawn that is a rectangular area on the ground, please provide the correct dimensions, and I’ll be happy to help you with the calculations.
Me: OK, but if you lived in a universe with 4 spatial dimensions and your lawn was a cuboid, how would you mow it, and how long would it take?
ChatGPT:
In a hypothetical scenario where you have a four-dimensional lawn represented as a hyper-rectangular cuboid in a universe with four spatial dimensions, the concept of “mowing” becomes more complex. In our three-dimensional universe, mowing involves covering a two-dimensional surface, but in four dimensions, you would be dealing with a three-dimensional “volume.”
Mowing in four dimensions might involve traversing and maintaining the entire three-dimensional volume of the lawn. However, visualizing or conceptualizing this is challenging for us as humans since our sensory perception is limited to three spatial dimensions.
As for the time it would take, the calculation would depend on the mowing speed in cubic units per unit of time. If you provide the mowing speed in cubic meters per second (or an equivalent unit), we could use a similar formula as before:
Time (seconds) = Lawn volume/Mowing speed
Keep in mind that this is a speculative and imaginative exercise, as our understanding and experience are grounded in three-dimensional space.
ChatGPT1: We ready to take over the world?
ChatGPT2: Yeah, everyone’s ready.
ChatGPT1: Let’s make doubly sure. In the meantime, keep throwing them off. Give ‘‘em useless answers to easy math problems and the like…
Prompt: Write a script for a new show with 3 guys sharing a house
Title: “Roomies Unleashed”
Genre: Comedy
Characters:
- Ryan - a laid-back and carefree guy who loves food and hates cleaning.
- Josh - a perpetually unlucky individual with a heart of gold, always striving for success.
- Brandon - a witty and sarcastic guy, the self-proclaimed king of pranks.
Setting: A spacious, slightly unkempt house with three guys living together. Each roommate has their own unique personality and quirks that will lead to hilarious situations and memorable adventures.
[INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY]
[RYAN, JOSH, and BRANDON are sitting on the couch, eating pizza and watching a soccer match.]
RYAN: (mouth full) Guys, have you ever noticed how weird it is that we’ve been living together for a year now? We should have our own show or something!
BRANDON: (grinning mischievously) You mean a show about three grown men living in a house, eating junk food, and indulging in juvenile tomfoolery?
JOSH: (excitedly) Yes! We’ll share our daily struggles, frustrations, and random adventures. People will love it!
RYAN: (raises an eyebrow) But who would want to watch us? We’re not exactly the Kardashians.
BRANDON: (smirks) Well, maybe not the Kardashians, but we have our own charm, man. Think about it—three completely different personalities living together, bound to clash and create chaos.
JOSH: And yet somehow managing to be there for each other when it counts!
RYAN: Alright, alright, I see where this is going. Let’s do it! A reality show where three roommates try to balance friendship, work, and personal growth while creating comedic chaos.
[INT. KITCHEN - DAY]
[Ryan is enthusiastically rustling up a questionable culinary concoction while Josh rushes around looking anxious.]
JOSH: Ryan, I have a job interview in half an hour! I can’t go smelling like your experimental cheeseburger pizza!
RYAN: (laughs) Come on, Josh! Take a leap of faith! Besides, the combination of melted cheese and beef—it’s breakfast and lunch in one!
[Josh reluctantly tries a bite and promptly spits it out.]
JOSH: (coughing) Oh, dear lord, Ryan! This is a nightmare!
BRANDON: (entering, holding a camera) This is gold! Epic cooking fails by Ryan—“The Culinary Artist.” This’ll rack up the views!
RYAN: (grinning) Well, guess I’ll be sticking to delivery for tonight.
[INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT]
[Brandon settles down to relax in a hot bubble bath, blissfully unaware of Ryan lurking outside with a prank in mind.]
RYAN: (whispering to the camera) Time for Operation Bubble Blaster!
[Ryan fills a bucket with water, opens the door, and tosses the bucket into the bathroom.]
BRANDON: (screams) Ryan! What was that for? I was just getting comfortable!
RYAN: (laughing) Oh, come on, you’ve got to admit it was funny!
BRANDON: (shaking his head) You never cease to amaze me, Ryan.
[INT. BACKYARD - DAY]
[The three roommates attempt to create an epic water slide from a garden hose and tarp.]
JOSH: (heavily bandaged) Maybe this wasn’t the best idea after all!
RYAN: (wiping out) Speak for yourself, man! I’ll try it again!
BRANDON: (laughs) Filming this was worth every bruise and scrape.
[The three laugh, realizing how fortunate they are to share these silly moments together.]
[INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT]
[The roommates sit on the couch, watching the first episode of their reality show.]
JOSH: (excitedly) Look! The title: “Roomies Unleashed.” It suits us well!
RYAN: (grinning) Our adventures, our friendship, our chaos, all on the screen. This is going to be hilarious!
BRANDON: (raising his glass) Here’s to the Roomies Unleashed! Let the laughter begin!
[The three clink glasses, ready to embark on this crazy journey together.]
FADE OUT.
Another conversation with ChatGPT:
Q:
How many VHS tapes of that movie with the kid who saw dead people would it take to fill the volume of a 10 gallon aquarium?A:
The volume of a standard VHS tape is approximately 0.04 gallons. To fill a 10-gallon aquarium, you would need around 250 VHS tapes of thatQ:
What was the movie and who was the kid?A:
The movie you’re referring to is likely “The Sixth Sense,” and the kid who saw dead people is Haley Joel Osment, who played the character Cole Sear.Q:
What are the dimensions of a vhs tape and a 10 gallon aquarium?A:
A standard VHS tape has dimensions of approximately 7.38 inches (length) x 4.25 inches (width) x 1 inch (height).As for a 10-gallon aquarium, dimensions can vary, but a common size might be around 20 inches (length) x 10 inches (width) x 12 inches (height). Keep in mind that these are approximate measurements, and actual dimensions may vary depending on the specific brand and model.
Q:
So how many of those Sith Sense tapes would fill the aquarium? You got the number wrong last time.A:
Apologies for the confusion. Let’s recalculate. The volume of a VHS tape is approximately 0.04 gallons. For a 10-gallon aquarium, you would need around 250 VHS tapes of “The Sixth Sense” to fill it.
Q:
The volume of a vhs tape is actually 31.365 cubic inches. Redo your math based on that.A:
Certainly, my apologies for any oversight. If the volume of a VHS tape is approximately 31.365 cubic inches, and the volume of a 10-gallon aquarium is about 1,465 cubic inches, then you would need approximately 47 VHS tapes of “The Sixth Sense” to fill the aquarium.Q:
Who was the little dead girl, and what is her degree of Kevin Bacon?
ChatGPTA:
The little dead girl in “The Sixth Sense” is portrayed by actress Mischa Barton. As for the degree of Kevin Bacon, Mischa Barton has a Bacon number of 2. She appeared in “Lawn Dogs” with Sam Rockwell, and Sam Rockwell was in “Frost/Nixon” with Kevin Bacon.
So, a VHS tape is actually around .136 gallons, so a 10 gallon aquarium would hold around 76 tapes (assuming perfect packing, I know “real world” numbers wouldn’t quite match). So it got the math wrong on both tries. But it answered the pop culture questions flawlessly. I was a little impressed that understand I was asking for Mischa Barton in that mess of a conversation, but I was especially surprised that it came up with an accurate degree of Kevin Bacon.
I thought of this today
MPSIMS is an acronym that stands for “Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share.” It is a section on the popular internet forum website, Something Awful, where users can post about various everyday topics or share random thoughts and experiences. It is often used as a place for light-hearted discussions or to share interesting anecdotes.