ChatGPT 4 > ChatGPT plugins (Alpha) – Wolfram on historical astronomy?
ChatGPT plugins: (after four failing attempts using Wolfram) "I apologize for the inconvenience. It seems that I'm unable to retrieve the specific appearances of Halley's Comet in the 15th and 16th centuries using the available data. However, I can provide some general information about Halley's Comet. . . "
ChatGPT 4: "Halley's Comet, which has an orbital period of about 75-76 years, made two appearances in the 15th and 16th centuries:
In the 15th century, it appeared in 1456. This appearance was particularly noteworthy because it was observed and documented by astronomers, and its connection to previous sightings in 1378 and 1301 was recognized. This helped to establish the periodic nature of Halley's Comet. In the 16th century, it appeared in 1531. This appearance was also well-documented, and it further solidified the idea that Halley's Comet was a periodic comet that returned to the inner solar system on a regular schedule."
It is interesting that ChatGPT plugins apparently painted itself into a local minimum, through resort to Wolfram, rather than use its general ability gleaned from training.
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[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 14.5 ms ] thread"Halley's Comet is a periodic comet that appears in our sky approximately once every 76 years. It was last visible from Earth in 1986 and is expected to return in 2061.
In the 15th century, Halley's Comet appeared in the year 1456. In the 16th century, it appeared in the year 1531 and again in 1532."
And ChatGPT 3.5 default: "Halley's Comet, also known as Comet Halley, made several appearances in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In the 15th century, the comet was recorded as having appeared in 1456 and 1470. The appearance in 1456 was particularly notable as it occurred shortly before the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, and was seen as a bad omen by many.
In the 16th century, Halley's Comet was recorded as having appeared in 1531, 1607, and 1618. The appearance in 1607 was particularly well-documented, with the astronomer Johannes Kepler making detailed observations of the comet's motion."
It would seem that the ChatGPT plugins is rather unpredictably less reliable than other versions.