I asked the chatbot a series of questions which homed in on a key problem with the chatbot. The problem was that the chatbot thinks that an 819-day period can equal the 260-day period of the Maya calendar period of 260 days.
how does the 819-day period interact with the 260-day Tzolkin?
The 819-day period is the length of a full cycle of the Tzolkin, which is a 260-day sacred and divinatory cycle in the Maya calendar system.
The Tzolkin is formed by the combination of two smaller cycles: a 13-day cycle and a 20-day cycle. Each day in the Tzolkin is represented by a unique pair of glyphs, resulting in a total of 260 possible combinations. The Tzolkin was used for divination, determining the best times for planting crops, making decisions, and performing rituals.
The interaction between the 819-day period and the 260-day Tzolkin is that every 819 days, the Tzolkin cycle completes a full cycle of 260 days, which means that the same combination of the 13-day and 20-day cycles repeats. In other words, every 819 days, the Maya believed that the energies and personalities associated with each of the 260 possible combinations of glyphs would repeat.
This repetition was seen as a symbol of the cyclical nature of time and the universe by the ancient Maya. The Tzolkin was also used to calculate longer periods of time, such as the Haab’ (365-day) calendar and the Calendar Round (a 52-year cycle), which were used for agricultural and religious purposes.
ChatCPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) system which is language based, so that it apparently does not apparently check any mathematical consistency, and this makes it possible for such an error impossible to humans who know that one number never equals another, by definition.
In some areas this AI appears superb, for example in summarizing an issue such as
What were the deficiencies of the Short Stirling Bomber?
The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber aircraft used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. While it was an important aircraft in the early years of the war, it was ultimately replaced by more advanced designs. The Stirling had several deficiencies that limited its effectiveness, including:
- Range: The Stirling had a limited range, which made it difficult to reach targets deep in Germany. This was due in part to its large size and weight, which made it less efficient than other bombers in terms of fuel consumption.
- Payload: Despite its large size, the Stirling had a relatively small bomb load compared to other heavy bombers of the time. This limited its effectiveness as a strategic bomber.
- Maneuverability: The Stirling was not very maneuverable, which made it vulnerable to enemy fighters. This was partly due to its size and weight, which made it slower and less agile than other aircraft.
- Maintenance: The Stirling was difficult to maintain, which meant that it spent more time on the ground than in the air. This limited its operational effectiveness and made it more vulnerable to attack while on the ground.
- Visibility: The Stirling had poor visibility from the cockpit, which made it difficult for the crew to spot enemy fighters and defend the aircraft.
Overall, the Stirling was an important aircraft for the RAF during the early years of World War II, but its deficiencies limited its effectiveness as the war progressed. It was ultimately replaced by more advanced designs, such as the Avro Lancaster and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.
Of course it may have found one or more perfect answers to this question.
Ancestry
But in another area, more serious errors came for ancestry research where it can confuse a name and date with another well-formed biography for inexplicable reasons. My wife has a relative Charles Samuel Weston, a family description of whom exists. He was significant as a soldier in colonial India but asking of him first gave:
Charles Samuel Weston (1821-1880) was a British engineer who made important contributions to the development of the telegraph and submarine cables.
Weston was born in Bristol, England and worked as an apprentice at a local brass works before starting his own engineering business. He became interested in the telegraph and developed a number of innovations that improved the reliability and efficiency of telegraph systems.
One of Weston’s most important contributions was the development of a new type of battery, known as the “gravity cell,” which was used to power telegraph systems. The gravity cell was more efficient and reliable than other batteries of the time, and it became widely used in telegraphy and other applications.
Weston also played a key role in the development of submarine telegraph cables, which were used to transmit messages across the Atlantic Ocean and other bodies of water. He developed a number of innovations that helped to make submarine cables more reliable and efficient, including a new type of cable insulation and a system for detecting breaks in the cable.
In addition to his work in engineering, Weston was also a noted philanthropist who supported a number of charitable causes. He died in 1880 at the age of 59.
In changing the date of death to 1909, which is correct,
I apologize for my previous response – there appears to be some confusion regarding the dates of Charles Samuel Weston.
Charles Samuel Weston (1821-1909) was a British engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of the electric telegraph and the submarine cable.
Born in Bristol, England, Weston began his career working as an apprentice at a brass foundry before starting his own business as a mechanical engineer. He became interested in the telegraph and made several important improvements to telegraph systems, including developing a more reliable and efficient battery known as the Weston cell.
etc, then Weston died in London in 1909 at the age of 88.
Before this he had been an administrator who introduced taxation to India, established university, and so on. Compelling but false, and so showing an excellent ability to invent plausible biographies based upon fragments of existing biographical texts.
Charles Samuel Weston was a British civil servant who served in India during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He played an important role in the administration of the British Raj, particularly in the areas of finance and taxation.
Weston began his career in India in the mid-1880s, working in the Madras Presidency as a deputy collector of customs and salt. He quickly rose through the ranks, serving in various administrative and financial positions in Madras and other parts of the country.
One of Weston’s most significant contributions to British rule in India was his work on the Indian Income Tax Act of 1886. This legislation established a system of income taxation in India, which helped to provide a stable source of revenue for the British government and modernize the Indian economy.
In addition to his work on taxation, Weston was also involved in various other aspects of British administration in India. He served as a member of the Viceroy’s Legislative Council and as a member of the Indian Finance Committee. He was also involved in the establishment of several government institutions in India, including the Imperial Bank of India and the Indian Institute of Science.
Overall, Charles Samuel Weston played an important role in the British Raj in India, helping to modernize the Indian economy and establish systems of governance and taxation that would shape the country for years to come.
Who is Richard Heath?
This question managed to find data despite having no Wikipedia page.
Richard Heath is a writer, researcher, and speaker who is known for his work on ancient cultures, mythology, and symbolism. He has written several books, including “Sacred Number and the Origins of Civilization”, “The Harmonic Origins of the World”, and “Matrix of Creation: Sacred Geometry in the Realm of the Planets”.
Heath’s work explores the connections between ancient sacred sites, mythology, and the principles of sacred geometry and numerology. He has studied the geometry and symbolism of numerous ancient sites around the world, including Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and the temples of ancient Egypt.
Heath’s work has been praised for its interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from archaeology, anthropology, mythology, and geometry. His research has also been influential in the fields of alternative history and alternative archaeology.
In addition to his writing and research, Heath has also given lectures and workshops on topics related to sacred geometry, ancient wisdom, and symbolism.
I need to say that this was remarkable unless it knows I am asking, since there are many Richard Heaths both living and dead including a congressman, Victorian author, furniture shop and so on. One can say this is a novel type of searching which is more interesting and humanistic despite being detached from some kinds of definitional rigour found in non-language artificial intelligence, for instance that 260-days cannot equal 819-days. Many Maya textbooks are not available online so that exotic periodicities, in books like
Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art, Folklore and Calendars (The Linda Schele Series in Maya and Pre-Columbian Studies) by Susan Milbrath are somewhat hidden to AI while articles such as Scientists Think They’ve Finally Figured Out How a Maya Calendar Works will feature the 819-day period, and other articles will lie behind paywalls. This latter article is not as pedagogical as I have found it necessary to be regarding numbers in ancient calendrical contexts. That is, on a Monday morning, I find it likely that the logic is itself obscure to a general audience. I will endeavour to post on this article this week.