ChatGPT is a Chatbot, it is AI in conversational form with access to information into 2021, however it does not have access to up-to-date or live information. It’s fair to say this may change in the future, as they’re always removing safeguards with technology.
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I spent an hour with ChatbotGPT, and I’ve called it several endearing things throughout the different dialogs. I asked this technology to draft a fantasy story. I asked it questions about religion and even biology.
I asked ChatGPT to give me a scoop about a specific religion. In moments it was able to inform me about the foundational pillars that make up the religion and how the religion is celebrated across the calendar. As my curiosity grew, I was able to refine my questions and seek a path of information that would otherwise be a tumultuous experience of research and imposter syndrome.
I also asked ChatGPT about biology and how the brain and gut are connected. I asked about dopamine and serotonin producers and receptors. In this search, I also asked for citations. I believe that prior to 2020 there is a wealth of information on all of these topics. I ended up in a dialog loop when it came to the idea that the gut DOES absorb dopamine but that dopamine is also NOT something that can be absorbed the same way as other nutrients. I believe the information on these topics are more dynamic than the results produced by ChatGPT.
Time zoomed by and it was time for bed. I forgot to ask ChatGPT the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION!!! Before retiring I anxiously returned to my laptop excited to ask Chat GPT what the answer to life, the universe, and everything is.
It is interesting that with a wealth of information published on the internet prior to 2020 about the significance of “42” and how this modern “Deep Thought” could have given me any answer, and yet it stayed very strict to the literal words and satire of the book, from which my question originates. Chat GPT also allowed me to call it names such as “super computer” and “Deep Thought.” I imagined Chatbot may respond with “I am not the same as Deep Thought in the book…” Instead, the AI continued the conversation without disputing these ideas, giving a more personal feel to the dialog. I was disappointed that Chatbot didn’t acknowledge that 42 is a bit of coding knowledge. I’ll admit, I only know this because of the fan knowledge around the book. I continued asking questions, knowing that there is a clear path I was seeking: Get the AI to acknowledge that 42 translates to “anything”, more specifically the wild card. In the end, I was able to teach this AI chatbot something.
Takeaway:
Chat GPT is definitely a fun toy. This AI has the potential to become anything, just like humans. In its chat interface, it talks like a human to convey to you information in the first person perspective. My favorite thing that ChatGPT is, is an open resource. It is fair to say that ChatGPT is a good place to start with inquiries and build up to what you’re really getting at. If you have friends who are not interested in the same things you are, ChatGPT is a good place to bounce ideas off of. ChatGPT may even write blog posts on prompted topics and computer programs. ChatGPT has the ability to problem solve, kinda. I do think that ChatGPT is limited to the global narrative and will not explore fringe ideas, despite having endless resources at its access.
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Below is my dialog exchange with Chat GPT:
Querent: what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?
Artificial Intelligence: According to Douglas Adams’ book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything is 42.
Q: well I was hoping, super computer, you would come up with your own answer, also equal to 42.
A: I’m sorry if my previous answer disappointed you. 42 being the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” is a fictional concept from the book and radio series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” written by Douglas Adams. It’s a comedic science fiction series and the number 42 is intended as a humorous take on the idea that the ultimate answer to any question is always unknown and unknowable. As a machine learning model, I don’t have personal opinion, neither the ability to come up with my own answer, but I can share information and facts based on my knowledge cut off.
Q: that is incorrect.
A: I apologize if my previous response did not accurately address your question. It is difficult to know the intent behind a question such as “What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything” as it is a reference to a comedic science fiction book, which intent is to be humoristic.
Is there a specific aspect of my previous response that you believe is incorrect or is there something else you would like to know? I’ll do my best to assist you with any information you need.
Q: 42 was not a mistake or an accident. 42 actually equates to “whatever you want”. It by no means is an understatement to what something is capable of.
A: I apologize for any confusion in my previous responses. In “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the number 42 is intended as a humorous take on the idea that the ultimate answer to any question is always unknown and unknowable. It was the output of a supercomputer called Deep Thought, which was designed to find the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything. The number 42 was not intended to have any deeper meaning beyond being a punchline in the story, it is not intended to represent anything else and it’s not related to any other idea or concept.
Q: What is the significance of 42 in the hichchikers guide?
A: In Douglas Adams’ book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the number 42 is the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” that was calculated by a supercomputer called Deep Thought. The characters in the story spend a significant amount of time trying to discover what the question is that the answer pertains to. The number 42 is used as a running joke throughout the series and it is not intended to have any deeper meaning beyond being a punchline in the story. It’s more a comedic element in the story and not meant to be taken seriously or to be related to any other idea or concept.
It was a way the author to make a reference to the idea of ultimate question, and that it can be ridiculous in the sense of how much effort is put in trying to find out something that ultimately doesn’t matter.
Q: what is the numeric code for an astris? *
A: An “astris” is not a commonly used word, so I’m not certain what you’re asking for. If you meant “asterisk” it is a symbol that is often used to indicate that a footnote, reference, or additional information can be found at the bottom of a page or in an accompanying document. It is represented by the star-like symbol (*) also can be typed by using shift+8 in most keyboards.
Is this what you were looking for?
Q: 42
A: 42 is not a numeric code for anything in specific. In the book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams, the number 42 is the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” that was calculated by a supercomputer called Deep Thought. As I previously mentioned, it is intended as a humorous take on the idea that the ultimate answer to any question is always unknown and unknowable.
Q: The ASCII code 42 is for the asterisk symbol
A: You are correct that ASCII code 42 is the code for the asterisk symbol (*) in the ASCII character set. ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a standard used for digital devices to represent and exchange character-based information such as letters, numbers and symbols. ASCII assigns a unique number between 0 and 127 to each character, including common punctuation marks, special characters, and the letters and digits of the basic Latin alphabet.
Each character is represented by a unique number, and the asterisk character is assigned the number 42 in the ASCII character set. This means that any computer or device that uses ASCII encoding can interpret the number 42 as the asterisk symbol.
My apologies for any confusion in my previous responses.
Q: What does the asterisk symbol represent?
A: The asterisk (*) symbol is a versatile symbol that is used in a variety of ways, depending on the context in which it is used.
In mathematics, the asterisk is used as a multiplication operator. For example, “5 * 3” means “5 multiplied by 3” and would equal 15.
In computer programming, an asterisk is often used as a wildcard character, which can be used to match any character(s) in a string.
In writing and editing, an asterisk is often used to indicate a note or a correction in a text. It is also used to indicate omitted or uncertain text.
In literature, an asterisk is often used to denote a footnotes, or notes provided at the bottom of a page to provide additional information or context.
In some forms of shorthand, an asterisk is used to indicate that a word or phrase is spelled phonetically.
In informal writing and texting, the asterisk is often used to indicate emphasis or sarcasm, or to censor an obscenity or profanity.
In many computer systems and programming languages, the * symbol also can be used as a shorthand for “all” or “any” when referring to files or directories, like in regular expressions.
It can have different meaning based on the context and the field, but it’s a common symbol that have a versatile use.
Q: You said it yourself, “In computer programming, an asterisk is often used as a wildcard character, which can be used to match any character(s) in a string.”. And this is the meaning to 42. To be the wildcard.
A: I apologize for any confusion I may have caused. You are correct that in computer programming, an asterisk is often used as a wildcard character, which can be used to match any character(s) in a string. I understand your reference now to 42 in your previous question, as the wildcard, meaning it can represent anything.
As I said before, In Douglas Adams’ book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the number 42 is the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” that was calculated by a supercomputer called Deep Thought, and it is used as a humorous take on the idea that the ultimate answer to any question is always unknown and unknowable. The number 42 is not intended to have any deeper meaning beyond being a punchline in the story, so in this sense you can interpret 42 as the wildcard, representing the idea that the ultimate answer can be whatever the reader wants it to be.
Q: if deep think is a super computer, dont you think the super computer knows code?
A: In the context of the “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” series, Deep Thought is a supercomputer of great intelligence and power. It was created to calculate the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.
Given that Deep Thought is a fictional, highly advanced AI computer, it would likely have the ability to understand and work with various programming languages and codes.
In the book, it’s depicted as able to understand natural language and answer any question, it is created to find the answer to the ultimate question, so the fact that it uses code to answer it is not specified.
The idea behind the book, is more to create a funny and entertaining story, rather than depicting a realistic representation of how a supercomputer would function in reality. So it’s not necessary to take it too seriously or look into the technical details.
Q: perhaps 42 was the best way that a computer could articulate wild card
A: It is possible that 42 was chosen as the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything” in the book “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” as a way for the supercomputer Deep Thought to convey the idea of a “wild card,” or an answer that can be anything.
In the story, the characters spend a significant amount of time trying to discover the question to which 42 is the answer, and ultimately realize that the question itself is unimportant. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the futility of searching for one-size-fits-all answers to complex questions, and that the answer itself can be interpreted in many ways.
It is a part of the comedy and the irony in the story, and the idea that a Supercomputer could come up with an answer like 42 could be seen as a satire on the idea of ultimate questions, and the human search for answers, not just in the story but in life as well.
Q: Because there is no answers to such questions.
A: In the “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” series, the characters search for the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything and it is a recurring theme throughout the story. The ultimate question and the answer 42 is a fictional concept and it is used in a humorous way in the story, but it’s also used to comment on the human search for answers to complex questions and the idea that there may not be one answer or solution to them.
The author uses the idea of the ultimate question to make a commentary on the human search for answers and the idea that some questions may not have an answer or that answers might not be that simple, and it’s important to remember that many questions can have different answers depending on the perspective, context, and interpretation.
It’s a way to make the reader think about the nature of questions and answers, and the idea that ultimately, the answers might be different for each person.
Q: thanks, Deep Thought.
A: You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help clarify the meaning behind the number 42 in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.
Please keep in mind I am an AI trained on text data, and while I can provide information and answer question based on my knowledge cut off and understanding, I don’t possess consciousness nor personal opinions.
Q: I do feel like I taught you something.
A: As an AI, I am constantly learning and updating my knowledge based on the information I am exposed to. The information you provided about the meaning of the number 42 in computer programming as a wildcard character helped me to understand the context of your previous questions, and I apologize if my previous responses were not able to fully address your query. I’m glad that we were able to clear up any confusion, and I appreciate the information you provided. My main purpose is to assist and provide accurate information, so if there’s anything else you need or if you have any other question, I’ll be happy to help.