Why do the Panama Canal locks use/need fresh water, not salt water?
I just learned of the fresh water requirement this morning.
}}} IrishOtter49
No idea, offhand, but salt water is exceptionally corrosive, and might damage the parts of the lock? A guess, but, considering they don’t want to have to clean them repeatedly and deal with crud buildup (including, particularly, barnacles) that would be my first suspicion, just on reasoned guessing.
IrishOtter49, ObloodyHell:
I’m no fun:
_______________________________________
The Panama Canal uses fresh water, not salt water, in its lock system for several important reasons:
Corrosion Prevention: Fresh water is less corrosive than salt water. The locks of the Panama Canal are made of steel and concrete, materials that would corrode more quickly if exposed to salt water. By using fresh water, the longevity and integrity of the lock structures are maintained, reducing maintenance costs and extending the life of the canal.
Operating Efficiency: Fresh water is less dense than salt water. This difference in density can affect the buoyancy of ships and the efficiency of the lock operation. Using fresh water ensures a consistent and predictable operating environment, which is crucial for the safe and efficient passage of ships through the canal.
Environmental Considerations: The Panama Canal is located in a tropical environment with sensitive ecosystems both in the ocean and in the surrounding land. Using fresh water helps to minimize the environmental impact of the canal's operation. Introducing large quantities of salt water into the area could disrupt the local freshwater ecosystems, affecting wildlife and vegetation.
Historical and Geographical Factors: The design of the Panama Canal was heavily influenced by its geographical location. The canal's main source of fresh water is Lake Gatun, which was created by damming the Chagres River. This lake not only provides the necessary water for the operation of the locks but also serves as a navigable channel for part of the transit through the canal. The availability of this large freshwater source was a key factor in the original design and continues to be essential for the canal's operation.
Overall, the use of fresh water in the Panama Canal's locks is a decision based on engineering efficiency, environmental protection, and the practicality of utilizing the natural freshwater resources available in the region.
–ChatGPT 4
My latest Worthwhile Reading roundup of posts & articles is up:
When I was young, I got good at finding information in libraries and bookstores. Then the internet came and I got good at googling.
I got good at the slide rule, then HP programmable calculators. Not to mention professional programming.
These were skills that I acquired over time. And it was good.
Now I can just ask ChatGPT.
I marvel at the ease and power, but I feel sad that so much of my life is now obsolete. It happened so fast.
Link to an article about the woes of the Panama Canal.
The canal authority completed a new set of locks in 2016 to increase traffic and keep pace with the growing size of cargo ships. What it didn’t do was build a new reservoir to pump in enough fresh water.
Adding the third set of locks without adding an additional freshwater source a decade ago led to the current problem. “Jorge Luis Quijano, a consultant and former head of canal authority, says it could take a year to get back to normal volumes. Quijano says he saw the problem coming a decade ago, when he supervised the addition of a new set of locks to accommodate larger vessels in the canal.” https://www.seattletimes.com/business/saving-the-panama-canal-will-take-years-and-cost-billions-if-its-even-possible/
Oh huxley – AI makes it interesting again…. now you have to suss out the 10-20 percent of ChatGPT’s reply that is thoroughly convincing fabrication.
Ben David:
I’m just reporting from the trenches of my life. I’m a surfer. I’ve ridden several waves of change. I know the drill. But this one looks like a tsunami to me.
You’ll notice I’m now getting good at AI. It’s going to be tough for those who don’t.
For the questions I’m asking Chat, I don’t find anything approaching 10-20% baloney. Less than a few percent.
Perhaps I don’t notice Chat’s confabulations because I don’t know enough.
Is Chat’s response to the fresh water in the Panama Canal 10-20% baloney? I wouldn’t know for certain, but I doubt it.
Ok but the ocean water must flow through some of the locks its a rather large area to traverse
Buck Throckmorton at Ace of Spades writes this about the “new right:”
A distinguishing feature of the “new right” versus establishment conservatives is that establishment conservatives take great pride in allowing the left to advance their agenda, so long as we on the right unilaterally uphold norms and principles in our defeat. The new right believes in fighting back and playing by the new rules.
I see this tension among non-democrats (Republicans, Libertarians, conservatives, conservative religious…). (I’m not sure there is officially something called “the new right,” but that’s splitting hairs.)
Do you have to get “dirty” to defeat the Left, and, if one does employ their tactics will it stop, if and when the Left is quieted? This is the premise of a lot of many sagas throughout history. It’s the very reason the Roman Senate had the rule about “crossing the Rubicon.” Britain and Winston Churchill is a recent example.
It’s very fascinating (and often frustrating) to be living through such a situation. Forty years ago it seemed the Federal leviathan could be slowed through good communication directly to the public and negotiation with the Left, as demonstrated during Reagan’s two terms. Although I’m sure there were also many then who would have preferred a heavier hand. Many of Donald Trump’s supporters fall into this camp. They believe a blunt instrument like Donald Trump is necessary to oppose the Left today. Ron Desantis has had success with a similar approach in Florida. Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan (among others) are having success fighting corporate media directly. Media on the “old right” like the “National Review,” are losing market share to defiant, outspoken sources like Ace of Spades. Some border states are doing this to sanctuary states and cities regarding immigration.
I haven’t seen it yet in academic institutions. Hillsdale and a few other schools have been happy to take the first approach. Allow the Left to advance while taking the high road. Maybe the new University of Austin or the New College of Florida may be willing to take the fight to the competition.
Interesting conundrum. Dangerous too. 😉
I dont see how another set of locks provides more water
Looks like neo needs to employ a 15 minute edit rule for Rufus T. Firefly!
Just in passing by the TV that had Biden on speaking in SC. We was being shouted down by Pro Palis demos. The launched into his speech by bring up the Civil War, got going into how there is an assault on democracy now. He was doing his “Angry Speech” again.
I am glad the PP’s were shouting him down. But until some are prosecuted and put into jail it will continue everywhere. As for the assault, he should look into the mirror.
2024 is going to be a very long, vicious year.
Miguel cervantes,
Years ago there was a competition among U.S. states for a prototype coal plant that would sequester the carbon emissions under ground. (Actually “re-sequester” since the coal originated from under the ground.) Illinois won the bidding war and it was going to be a big boon to a depressed area of the state. Then Obama halted the project. In Illinois. His “home” state. Carbon neutral energy from an abundant and cheap resource slated to employ thousands and bring much needed revenue to a state with huge budget shortfalls.
Nobody remembers. Advantage Obama.
Huxley,
The point ChatGPT missed is that using lake water lets gravity do the work of water movement. Otherwise huge pumps would have been required to do the work gravity does for free in as little as 10 min. The cost of using huge pumps defeats the economic advantages of the canal.
Thanks to all who responded to my query re the Panama Canal.
As for ChatGPT accuracy on the subject: I doubt that “Environmental Considerations” were a concern way back when the canal was in the planning stage. I don’t believe that the engineers at the time were thinking about the environmental impact of salt water vs. fresh water.
Over at scifi.stackexchange.com, some users have posted AI “answers” to story identification questions. As far as I know they have been 100% baloney.
Just another open-thread comment about AI.
I grew up in Iowa, where self-deprecation is an art form. Our first working assumption is that we’re all becoming obsolete. So, no surprise that I’ve been happy to play around with another AI LLM chatbot. This one’s called Phind, and it’s supposed to be especially good at providing coding advice. Below, I’ve copied an example that might be relevant.
_____________________________________________________________
For a WordPress blog, how can I enable the search function for comments?
ANSWER | PHIND V9 MODEL
Enabling the search function for comments on a WordPress blog is not a built-in feature of WordPress itself. However, there are plugins available that can add this functionality to your site.
One such plugin is the “SearchWP Live Ajax Search” plugin. Here’s how you can install and set it up:
1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to “Plugins” > “Add New”.
3. In the search bar, type “SearchWP Live Ajax Search” and press Enter.
4. Find the plugin in the list and click “Install Now” next to it.
5. Once installed, click “Activate”.
6. After activation, navigate to “SearchWP” > “Settings”.
7. In the “Engines” tab, select “Live Ajax Search” and configure its settings according to your needs.
I don’t know how someone could accuse Hillsdale College of taking a passive stance against the left. They have a whole education outreach program to non students of Hillsdale on line , etc.
A conservative to moderate education system is one of the things this country needs. Many of the old institutions are corrupt beyond reasonable repair. They should be replaced by new institutions to the right.
Nice vid, thanks.
I have always prompted any of my younger artistically inclined friends to study anatomy. I’ve even purchased Grey’s Anatomy for several. Not a one of the little b**ds did and it shows in their work.
I always enjoyed Rembrandt’s work but I can’t paint that way. He used a special formula for thickening his paints and painted as much with the highlights and shadows as the color.
I paint more like Jordaens and Velázquez – flat surface. I even made some of Velázquez’ copper based oil medium (instead of lead). We’ll have to wait a few hundred to see if the reds hold up as well as his have.
Spot on Jon Baker !
The volume of water than you would need to float through the locks wouldnt be solved by another lock
Miguel cervantes, you’re right. The freshwater needs increased with the larger locks. Just as it does with more canal usage. The canal authority decided to hold more water in the lake when full but as some like the former head of the canal authority predicted it wasn’t enough during times of drought. Adding more water storage by damming another river and delivering it through an eight mile tunnel for example never got done so they’re reducing traffic until lake levels rise. The linked articles describe the water storage and cloud seeding options. In the end, more storage is probably the optimum solution but they haven’t managed to do it yet.
I only know what resonates with me; among others Rembrandt, Vermeer, Bouguereau & Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’ have always taken my breath away.
Re: ChatGPT baloney
I am interested in Chat’s failures. I prefer specific examples (and links if possible).
Ben David’s claimed earlier that its output is 10-20% “baloney”. I haven’t seen anything like that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Chat has weaknesses like story identification whatever that is. (I’m not going to google. If you want me to look at something, provide a link )
I’ve seen Chat hallucinate, but rarely. I’ve seen it be vague, verbose and unuseful. I still find it invaluable for my current questions about French grammar and idioms. It’s good for others too.
Whatever the faults of Chat and other AIs, AIs are only going to get better.
maybe the fact that chat gtp has learned to lie, into it’s sub routines, is at once intriguing and disturbing, for one must be able to know the truth, in order to intentionally lie, to discriminate among fact patterns, this was HAL’s conundrum after all, which caused to go homicidal, it had been tasked to suppress the mission objective and protect the crew
This is tangential to the topic but it amuses me so I hope it amuses you all.
I have a long running joke of a habit as I paint. I clean my palette board off at the end of each session because I use a mix that dries fairly rapidly. I do this by scraping with a palette knife and then smearing it on a smaller canvas.
After repeated sessions at the real painting it starts looking like post modern art, which is exactly the mockery I’m looking for.
I’ve sold two – “Old Man’s Lament” and “The Detritus of Life”.
Coming summer I’ve another portrait lined up. Maybe scrape off “Clinging to Existence”. Heh.
miguel cervantes: maybe the fact that chat gtp has learned to lie,…
More probably a restriction governing the output. A simple edict such as “Don’t ever say ‘I don’t know’.” would do the trick.
“Never attribute to AI intelligence that which can be explained by owner bias.”
I thought neo’s point in “Random thoughts of the day” was quite valid:
_________________________________
….any source of information, be it tedious old-fashioned library work, Google, or AI so far (and maybe into the future), is vulnerable to “garbage in, garbage out.” The human consumer always has to decide what’s true and what’s false, what’s real and what’s fake, what’s biased and what’s objective.
_________________________________
AI or not, we are always stuck with the responsibility of deciding for ourselves.
the matter of the fake citations, that michael cohen (speaking of fake) fell for, it takes a certain intelligence to fabricate, think of michael bellesiles, who sourced records of gun permits that didn’t actually exist, and then furthermore he was rewarded with another book contract,
maybe the fact that chat gtp has learned to lie
Humans learned to lie a long time ago. Yet, we still listen to other human beings.
I don’t believe Chat “lies” — or at least not intentionally, purposefully as humans do. However, it does make stuff up.
My impression: It converts its training into some deep representation. It applies this representation to a prompt. The result has gaps. Chat fills them in plausible ways.
Caveat emptor.
I’ve been through a few canal and river locks, and I would be very surprised if each of the Panama Canal locks wasn’t supported by set of high-volume, low pressure pumps. Relying on gravity drainage to fill a lock is going to be very slow going toward the end of the cycle. Pumps make the rate reliable and by design, fast – and time is money in such a high-traffic environment.
I’m not surprised to see them using fresh water, and would bet that a side benefit might be acting as a buffer against invasive species, too.
Here’s a blogger who wants to raise his productivity with Chat.
_________________________________
Why does ChatGPT constantly lie?
Maybe it has to do with the reasons humans use language.
Write a blog post in the style of Noah Smith from Bloomberg about why wage councils are a bad idea for a California and include arguments and quotes form Arin Dube.
______________________
It would be great if Chat could pull this off. No blogger would ever have to write a post again.
I don’t expect this from Chat. I mostly ask sharply focused questions or provide interesting prompts for Chat to create something.
Chat is not Deep Thought from Douglas Adams’ “Hitchihker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
“Each lock chamber requires 26,700,000 US gal (101,000 m3) of water to fill it from the lowered to the raised position; the same amount of water must be drained from the chamber to lower it again.[7] Embedded in the side and center walls are three large water culverts that are used to carry water from the lake into the chambers to raise them, and from each chamber down to the next, or to the sea, to lower them. These culverts start at a diameter of 22 ft (6.71 m) and reduce to 18 ft (5.49 m) in diameter, large enough to accommodate a train. Cross culverts branch off from these main culverts, running under the lock chambers to openings in the floors. There are fourteen cross culverts in each chamber, each with five openings; seven cross culverts from the sidewall main culverts alternate with seven from the center wall culvert.[8]
The water is moved by gravity and is controlled by huge valves in the culverts. Each cross culvert is independently controlled.[8] A lock chamber can be filled in as little as ten minutes.[9] ”
@ Oligoncella > “After repeated sessions at the real painting it starts looking like post modern art, which is exactly the mockery I’m looking for.”
I was amused, and even more so with Neo’s link.
Seems to me your works are an artistic analog to The Sokal Hoax.
Buying Picasso’s palettes is just pretentious — but hey, it’s their $70K!
Leave a Reply
HTML tags allowed in your
comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>
Why do the Panama Canal locks use/need fresh water, not salt water?
I just learned of the fresh water requirement this morning.
}}} IrishOtter49
No idea, offhand, but salt water is exceptionally corrosive, and might damage the parts of the lock? A guess, but, considering they don’t want to have to clean them repeatedly and deal with crud buildup (including, particularly, barnacles) that would be my first suspicion, just on reasoned guessing.
IrishOtter49, ObloodyHell:
I’m no fun:
_______________________________________
The Panama Canal uses fresh water, not salt water, in its lock system for several important reasons:
Corrosion Prevention: Fresh water is less corrosive than salt water. The locks of the Panama Canal are made of steel and concrete, materials that would corrode more quickly if exposed to salt water. By using fresh water, the longevity and integrity of the lock structures are maintained, reducing maintenance costs and extending the life of the canal.
Operating Efficiency: Fresh water is less dense than salt water. This difference in density can affect the buoyancy of ships and the efficiency of the lock operation. Using fresh water ensures a consistent and predictable operating environment, which is crucial for the safe and efficient passage of ships through the canal.
Environmental Considerations: The Panama Canal is located in a tropical environment with sensitive ecosystems both in the ocean and in the surrounding land. Using fresh water helps to minimize the environmental impact of the canal's operation. Introducing large quantities of salt water into the area could disrupt the local freshwater ecosystems, affecting wildlife and vegetation.
Historical and Geographical Factors: The design of the Panama Canal was heavily influenced by its geographical location. The canal's main source of fresh water is Lake Gatun, which was created by damming the Chagres River. This lake not only provides the necessary water for the operation of the locks but also serves as a navigable channel for part of the transit through the canal. The availability of this large freshwater source was a key factor in the original design and continues to be essential for the canal's operation.
Overall, the use of fresh water in the Panama Canal's locks is a decision based on engineering efficiency, environmental protection, and the practicality of utilizing the natural freshwater resources available in the region.
–ChatGPT 4
My latest Worthwhile Reading roundup of posts & articles is up:
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/70459.html
When I was young, I got good at finding information in libraries and bookstores. Then the internet came and I got good at googling.
I got good at the slide rule, then HP programmable calculators. Not to mention professional programming.
These were skills that I acquired over time. And it was good.
Now I can just ask ChatGPT.
I marvel at the ease and power, but I feel sad that so much of my life is now obsolete. It happened so fast.
Link to an article about the woes of the Panama Canal.
https://instapundit.com/625524/
The locks are designed to use gravity to fill and drain from 85 ft lake level to sea level.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_locks
Adding the third set of locks without adding an additional freshwater source a decade ago led to the current problem. “Jorge Luis Quijano, a consultant and former head of canal authority, says it could take a year to get back to normal volumes. Quijano says he saw the problem coming a decade ago, when he supervised the addition of a new set of locks to accommodate larger vessels in the canal.” https://www.seattletimes.com/business/saving-the-panama-canal-will-take-years-and-cost-billions-if-its-even-possible/
Oh huxley – AI makes it interesting again…. now you have to suss out the 10-20 percent of ChatGPT’s reply that is thoroughly convincing fabrication.
Ben David:
I’m just reporting from the trenches of my life. I’m a surfer. I’ve ridden several waves of change. I know the drill. But this one looks like a tsunami to me.
You’ll notice I’m now getting good at AI. It’s going to be tough for those who don’t.
For the questions I’m asking Chat, I don’t find anything approaching 10-20% baloney. Less than a few percent.
Perhaps I don’t notice Chat’s confabulations because I don’t know enough.
Is Chat’s response to the fresh water in the Panama Canal 10-20% baloney? I wouldn’t know for certain, but I doubt it.
Ok but the ocean water must flow through some of the locks its a rather large area to traverse
Buck Throckmorton at Ace of Spades writes this about the “new right:”
I see this tension among non-democrats (Republicans, Libertarians, conservatives, conservative religious…). (I’m not sure there is officially something called “the new right,” but that’s splitting hairs.)
Do you have to get “dirty” to defeat the Left, and, if one does employ their tactics will it stop, if and when the Left is quieted? This is the premise of a lot of many sagas throughout history. It’s the very reason the Roman Senate had the rule about “crossing the Rubicon.” Britain and Winston Churchill is a recent example.
It’s very fascinating (and often frustrating) to be living through such a situation. Forty years ago it seemed the Federal leviathan could be slowed through good communication directly to the public and negotiation with the Left, as demonstrated during Reagan’s two terms. Although I’m sure there were also many then who would have preferred a heavier hand. Many of Donald Trump’s supporters fall into this camp. They believe a blunt instrument like Donald Trump is necessary to oppose the Left today. Ron Desantis has had success with a similar approach in Florida. Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Joe Rogan (among others) are having success fighting corporate media directly. Media on the “old right” like the “National Review,” are losing market share to defiant, outspoken sources like Ace of Spades. Some border states are doing this to sanctuary states and cities regarding immigration.
I haven’t seen it yet in academic institutions. Hillsdale and a few other schools have been happy to take the first approach. Allow the Left to advance while taking the high road. Maybe the new University of Austin or the New College of Florida may be willing to take the fight to the competition.
Interesting conundrum. Dangerous too. 😉
I dont see how another set of locks provides more water
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/01/07/coal-power-station-drax-to-win-approval-for-net-zero-carbon-capture-plan/
“…a lot of many sagas…”
Looks like neo needs to employ a 15 minute edit rule for Rufus T. Firefly!
Just in passing by the TV that had Biden on speaking in SC. We was being shouted down by Pro Palis demos. The launched into his speech by bring up the Civil War, got going into how there is an assault on democracy now. He was doing his “Angry Speech” again.
I am glad the PP’s were shouting him down. But until some are prosecuted and put into jail it will continue everywhere. As for the assault, he should look into the mirror.
2024 is going to be a very long, vicious year.
Miguel cervantes,
Years ago there was a competition among U.S. states for a prototype coal plant that would sequester the carbon emissions under ground. (Actually “re-sequester” since the coal originated from under the ground.) Illinois won the bidding war and it was going to be a big boon to a depressed area of the state. Then Obama halted the project. In Illinois. His “home” state. Carbon neutral energy from an abundant and cheap resource slated to employ thousands and bring much needed revenue to a state with huge budget shortfalls.
Nobody remembers. Advantage Obama.
Huxley,
The point ChatGPT missed is that using lake water lets gravity do the work of water movement. Otherwise huge pumps would have been required to do the work gravity does for free in as little as 10 min. The cost of using huge pumps defeats the economic advantages of the canal.
Miguel Cervantes,
The third set of locks were built to accomodate larger ships so they move more water. They do have adjacent water saving basins to reduce the lake water needed but using them slows the process down from 10 -17 minutes. https://web.archive.org/web/20130310193919/http://www.pancanal.com/eng/expansion/rpts/informes-de-avance/expansion-report-201210.pdf
Because it doesnt work its another scam
Thanks to all who responded to my query re the Panama Canal.
As for ChatGPT accuracy on the subject: I doubt that “Environmental Considerations” were a concern way back when the canal was in the planning stage. I don’t believe that the engineers at the time were thinking about the environmental impact of salt water vs. fresh water.
“Heroin liberals and cocaine conservatives”, Curtis Yarvin” https://graymirror.substack.com/p/heroin-liberals-and-cocaine-conservatives
Huxley,
Over at scifi.stackexchange.com, some users have posted AI “answers” to story identification questions. As far as I know they have been 100% baloney.
Just another open-thread comment about AI.
I grew up in Iowa, where self-deprecation is an art form. Our first working assumption is that we’re all becoming obsolete. So, no surprise that I’ve been happy to play around with another AI LLM chatbot. This one’s called Phind, and it’s supposed to be especially good at providing coding advice. Below, I’ve copied an example that might be relevant.
_____________________________________________________________
For a WordPress blog, how can I enable the search function for comments?
ANSWER | PHIND V9 MODEL
Enabling the search function for comments on a WordPress blog is not a built-in feature of WordPress itself. However, there are plugins available that can add this functionality to your site.
One such plugin is the “SearchWP Live Ajax Search” plugin. Here’s how you can install and set it up:
1. Log into your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to “Plugins” > “Add New”.
3. In the search bar, type “SearchWP Live Ajax Search” and press Enter.
4. Find the plugin in the list and click “Install Now” next to it.
5. Once installed, click “Activate”.
6. After activation, navigate to “SearchWP” > “Settings”.
7. In the “Engines” tab, select “Live Ajax Search” and configure its settings according to your needs.
I don’t know how someone could accuse Hillsdale College of taking a passive stance against the left. They have a whole education outreach program to non students of Hillsdale on line , etc.
A conservative to moderate education system is one of the things this country needs. Many of the old institutions are corrupt beyond reasonable repair. They should be replaced by new institutions to the right.
Nice vid, thanks.
I have always prompted any of my younger artistically inclined friends to study anatomy. I’ve even purchased Grey’s Anatomy for several. Not a one of the little b**ds did and it shows in their work.
I always enjoyed Rembrandt’s work but I can’t paint that way. He used a special formula for thickening his paints and painted as much with the highlights and shadows as the color.
I paint more like Jordaens and Velázquez – flat surface. I even made some of Velázquez’ copper based oil medium (instead of lead). We’ll have to wait a few hundred to see if the reds hold up as well as his have.
Spot on Jon Baker !
The volume of water than you would need to float through the locks wouldnt be solved by another lock
Miguel cervantes, you’re right. The freshwater needs increased with the larger locks. Just as it does with more canal usage. The canal authority decided to hold more water in the lake when full but as some like the former head of the canal authority predicted it wasn’t enough during times of drought. Adding more water storage by damming another river and delivering it through an eight mile tunnel for example never got done so they’re reducing traffic until lake levels rise. The linked articles describe the water storage and cloud seeding options. In the end, more storage is probably the optimum solution but they haven’t managed to do it yet.
I only know what resonates with me; among others Rembrandt, Vermeer, Bouguereau & Raphael’s ‘The School of Athens’ have always taken my breath away.
Re: ChatGPT baloney
I am interested in Chat’s failures. I prefer specific examples (and links if possible).
Ben David’s claimed earlier that its output is 10-20% “baloney”. I haven’t seen anything like that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Chat has weaknesses like story identification whatever that is. (I’m not going to google. If you want me to look at something, provide a link )
I’ve seen Chat hallucinate, but rarely. I’ve seen it be vague, verbose and unuseful. I still find it invaluable for my current questions about French grammar and idioms. It’s good for others too.
Whatever the faults of Chat and other AIs, AIs are only going to get better.
maybe the fact that chat gtp has learned to lie, into it’s sub routines, is at once intriguing and disturbing, for one must be able to know the truth, in order to intentionally lie, to discriminate among fact patterns, this was HAL’s conundrum after all, which caused to go homicidal, it had been tasked to suppress the mission objective and protect the crew
This is tangential to the topic but it amuses me so I hope it amuses you all.
I have a long running joke of a habit as I paint. I clean my palette board off at the end of each session because I use a mix that dries fairly rapidly. I do this by scraping with a palette knife and then smearing it on a smaller canvas.
After repeated sessions at the real painting it starts looking like post modern art, which is exactly the mockery I’m looking for.
I’ve sold two – “Old Man’s Lament” and “The Detritus of Life”.
Coming summer I’ve another portrait lined up. Maybe scrape off “Clinging to Existence”. Heh.
miguel cervantes:
maybe the fact that chat gtp has learned to lie,…
More probably a restriction governing the output. A simple edict such as “Don’t ever say ‘I don’t know’.” would do the trick.
“Never attribute to AI intelligence that which can be explained by owner bias.”
I thought neo’s point in “Random thoughts of the day” was quite valid:
_________________________________
….any source of information, be it tedious old-fashioned library work, Google, or AI so far (and maybe into the future), is vulnerable to “garbage in, garbage out.” The human consumer always has to decide what’s true and what’s false, what’s real and what’s fake, what’s biased and what’s objective.
_________________________________
AI or not, we are always stuck with the responsibility of deciding for ourselves.
the matter of the fake citations, that michael cohen (speaking of fake) fell for, it takes a certain intelligence to fabricate, think of michael bellesiles, who sourced records of gun permits that didn’t actually exist, and then furthermore he was rewarded with another book contract,
maybe the fact that chat gtp has learned to lie
Humans learned to lie a long time ago. Yet, we still listen to other human beings.
I don’t believe Chat “lies” — or at least not intentionally, purposefully as humans do. However, it does make stuff up.
My impression: It converts its training into some deep representation. It applies this representation to a prompt. The result has gaps. Chat fills them in plausible ways.
Caveat emptor.
I’ve been through a few canal and river locks, and I would be very surprised if each of the Panama Canal locks wasn’t supported by set of high-volume, low pressure pumps. Relying on gravity drainage to fill a lock is going to be very slow going toward the end of the cycle. Pumps make the rate reliable and by design, fast – and time is money in such a high-traffic environment.
I’m not surprised to see them using fresh water, and would bet that a side benefit might be acting as a buffer against invasive species, too.
Here’s a blogger who wants to raise his productivity with Chat.
_________________________________
Why does ChatGPT constantly lie?
Maybe it has to do with the reasons humans use language.
https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/why-does-chatgpt-constantly-lie
_________________________________
He asks Chat:
______________________
Write a blog post in the style of Noah Smith from Bloomberg about why wage councils are a bad idea for a California and include arguments and quotes form Arin Dube.
______________________
It would be great if Chat could pull this off. No blogger would ever have to write a post again.
I don’t expect this from Chat. I mostly ask sharply focused questions or provide interesting prompts for Chat to create something.
Chat is not Deep Thought from Douglas Adams’ “Hitchihker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
Oligonicella:
Kind of like this?
FWIW
“Each lock chamber requires 26,700,000 US gal (101,000 m3) of water to fill it from the lowered to the raised position; the same amount of water must be drained from the chamber to lower it again.[7] Embedded in the side and center walls are three large water culverts that are used to carry water from the lake into the chambers to raise them, and from each chamber down to the next, or to the sea, to lower them. These culverts start at a diameter of 22 ft (6.71 m) and reduce to 18 ft (5.49 m) in diameter, large enough to accommodate a train. Cross culverts branch off from these main culverts, running under the lock chambers to openings in the floors. There are fourteen cross culverts in each chamber, each with five openings; seven cross culverts from the sidewall main culverts alternate with seven from the center wall culvert.[8]
The water is moved by gravity and is controlled by huge valves in the culverts. Each cross culvert is independently controlled.[8] A lock chamber can be filled in as little as ten minutes.[9] ”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_locks
@ Oligoncella > “After repeated sessions at the real painting it starts looking like post modern art, which is exactly the mockery I’m looking for.”
I was amused, and even more so with Neo’s link.
Seems to me your works are an artistic analog to The Sokal Hoax.
Buying Picasso’s palettes is just pretentious — but hey, it’s their $70K!