Astronomy and ChatGPT: Do Your Own Homework

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: OpenAI

While I recently used the new AI software ChatGPT (created by OpenAI, which was founded by Elon Musk and others) to draft up a poem, I did not use it to learn more about astronomy. Others have already attempted this and came back with mixed results.

Last month, the website Astronomy reported back on its results testing ChatGPT on a few questions. Some of these questsions included:

  • On average, how many stars are formed each year in the Milky Way?
  • What would happen if two supermassive black holes merged?
  • Why do the giant planets rotate so much faster than the terrestrial planets in our solar system?

The verdict? Astronomy was not impressed, reporting:

…once you start asking questions whose answers are not so obvious and dig into the subtleties of astrophysics — the types of informed, discerning questions that our readers regularly send us — ChatGPT becomes prone to giving answers that seem plausible, but are very wrong. To make things worse, ChatGPT is also very bad at knowing when it is making things up, and it can’t cite any sources.

Cloudy Nights users found ChatGPT to be a little more useful when listing out clear facts when answering questions such as “What are the best objects to observe in the night sky during January from the Northern Hemisphere?” It was also helpful answering this question – “What is the forum on the site Cloudy Nights about?”:

Cloudy Nights is a forum-based website that is focused on the hobby of astronomy. The site features a wide range of forums where members can discuss various topics related to astronomy, including telescopes, astrophotography, observing techniques, and more. In addition to the forums, the site also features reviews, articles, and other resources to help people learn more about astronomy and enjoy the hobby. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced astronomer, there is likely to be something of interest on the Cloudy Nights forum.

As with using Wikipedia as your main source, use ChatGPT at your own risk. I have more faith in Wikipedia because it represents the interaction of humans and therefore is based on more context for the answers. It also provides source material, unlike ChatGPT. If you use them as tools you should be okay. If you use them as oracles (in the original sense), then you are on your own.

ChatGPT and Elon Musk

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): SpaceX’s Starship rocket to be used for travel to Mars. (SpaceX)

You have probably heard of the new artificial intelligence program ChatGPT, which can compose stories and articles. So what happens when you ask it to do a simple task? I asked the program to compose a poem to cover the following scenario:

Elon Musk has become frustrated with Twitter, so he takes a rocket to Mars to live there forever. 

Here is what I received from ChatGSP:

Elon Musk, oh how he tried

To make Twitter work for him,

But in the end, he sighed

Fed up with all the noise

The constant need for attention

He made a bold decision

He’d leave this world behind

And start anew on Mars

Where he could truly shine

With his rocket at the ready

He blasted off to the stars

Leaving Earth and its troubles steady

On the Red Planet he would live

Where he could truly be himself

And all his dreams he could fulfill

No more anger, no more frustration

Just peace and solitude at last

On Mars, he found his new destination.

Not a bad start. Maybe ChatGPS needs to get in touch with the SpaceX engineers working at Twitter to determine whether this adventure can be arranged.

Extra: Here is another poem ChatGTP put together on a 2025 moon landing. It was not perfect. For example, I don’t think we will need to worry about “lunar mud.”

In 2025 we took a trip to the moon
To see what secrets it held in its dune
We strapped on our suits and climbed in our ship
And blasted off into the endless abyss

The stars shone bright as we soared through the sky
And the moon grew larger as we drew nigh
We landed on the surface with a thud
And took our first steps on the lunar mud

We explored the craters and the rocky terrain
And marveled at the view of Earth again
We planted a flag and collected some rocks
And gazed at the stars from a lunar box

We took lots of pictures and had lots of fun
But soon it was time to return to Earth, our home
We climbed back in our ship and took off with a roar
Leaving the moon to shine bright once more

But the memories of our trip will never fade
And the experience will forever be engraved
In our hearts and minds as a wondrous feat
A trip to the moon, a dream complete.