I had a conversation with ChatGPT where it gave me BS until I called it out.
"User
If I live in Cleveland, how high up do I have to be to see Canada?
ChatGPT
The distance from Cleveland, Ohio to the Canadian border varies depending on your location within the city, as well as the specific point along the border you are trying to see. However, the shortest distance from downtown Cleveland to the Canadian border is approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the north, across Lake Erie.
Due to the curvature of the Earth, the horizon at sea level is only about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away, so you would need to be much higher than ground level to see across the lake to Canada. Specifically, if you were standing at ground level in Cleveland and looking across Lake Erie, you would need to be at a height of about 35 feet (11 meters) to see a distant object on the Canadian shore.
However, this assumes ideal conditions such as clear weather and no obstacles blocking your line of sight. In reality, other factors such as atmospheric conditions, waves on the lake, and buildings or trees along the shoreline could impact your ability to see across the lake to Canada.
User
I live on the 10th floor of a condo and I can't see anything beyond the horizon. Your 35 feet number seems very wrong.
ChatGPT
I apologize for any confusion. You are correct that the distance at which you can see the horizon is greater than 35 feet when you are at an elevated position such as the 10th floor of a building.
Assuming ideal conditions with no obstacles blocking your line of sight, you should be able to see the horizon at a distance of approximately 11.3 miles (18.2 kilometers) from your position on the 10th floor. This distance is calculated based on the curvature of the Earth, which causes the horizon to appear at a distance that increases as your height above the ground increases.
However, the distance at which you can see specific landmarks beyond the horizon, such as the Canadian shore across Lake Erie, will depend on factors such as the height of the shore and any obstructions or atmospheric conditions that may affect visibility.
User
So, how high do I have to be on a clear day to see Canada from downtown Cleveland?
ChatGPT
On a clear day, it may be possible to see the Canadian shore from downtown Cleveland, but the specific height required to do so will depend on a number of factors, including your distance from the lake, the height of the Canadian shore, and atmospheric conditions.
Assuming ideal conditions, and using a standard refraction correction for light bending due to atmospheric conditions, you may be able to see the Canadian shore from a height of around 35-40 feet (10.7-12.2 meters) above the surface of Lake Erie. This is based on the curvature of the Earth and the distance of approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Cleveland to the Canadian shore across the lake.
However, this is a rough estimate and visibility may vary depending on the specific conditions on the day you are observing. It is also worth noting that buildings or other obstructions along the shoreline can affect your visibility, so your actual height requirement may be higher than the theoretical estimate.
User
At 150 ft I've never seen Canada. The idea I can see it at 35-40 feet seems insane.
ChatGPT
I apologize for any confusion. The distance at which you can see the Canadian shore from downtown Cleveland is indeed much greater than what I previously stated. In reality, you would need to be at a much greater height above the ground to see across Lake Erie to the Canadian shore, due to the curvature of the Earth and the distance involved.
Based on the curvature of the Earth, you would need to be at a height of approximately 266 feet (81 meters) above the surface of Lake Erie to see a distant object on the Canadian shore from downtown Cleveland, assuming ideal conditions with no obstructions or atmospheric interference.
However, it's worth noting that the actual height required to see the Canadian shore may be higher due to atmospheric conditions or obstructions such as buildings or trees along the shoreline. Additionally, seeing a distant object across a large body of water can be difficult even from a great height, as the atmosphere can distort or obscure the view."
Behind this issue is the question of 'consciousness' -- where we still don't have a clue. We're like Lavoisier in the 18th Century -- as brilliant as he was -- before the righteous revolutionaries beheaded him -- and as skillful a chemist as he was, it required the 'paradigm shift' or conceptual leap involved in understanding the structure of the atom, and electron orbitals, before we could explain why zinc is more reactive than copper.
That's where we are with respect to consciousness/self-awareness now. No matter how well these machines imitate human conversation, we don't want to think that what we're dealing with is just an electronic human, any more than we're a meat computer. But that's an intuition, not an analysis.
All this was prefigured by John Searle's "Chinese Room" refutation of the validity of the 'Turing Test'. And anticipated over 40 years ago by Hubert Dreyfus, in his book WHAT COMPUTERS CAN'T DO -- although his target was the idea of thinking as symbol manipulation.
I had a conversation with ChatGPT where it gave me BS until I called it out.
"User
If I live in Cleveland, how high up do I have to be to see Canada?
ChatGPT
The distance from Cleveland, Ohio to the Canadian border varies depending on your location within the city, as well as the specific point along the border you are trying to see. However, the shortest distance from downtown Cleveland to the Canadian border is approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the north, across Lake Erie.
Due to the curvature of the Earth, the horizon at sea level is only about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away, so you would need to be much higher than ground level to see across the lake to Canada. Specifically, if you were standing at ground level in Cleveland and looking across Lake Erie, you would need to be at a height of about 35 feet (11 meters) to see a distant object on the Canadian shore.
However, this assumes ideal conditions such as clear weather and no obstacles blocking your line of sight. In reality, other factors such as atmospheric conditions, waves on the lake, and buildings or trees along the shoreline could impact your ability to see across the lake to Canada.
User
I live on the 10th floor of a condo and I can't see anything beyond the horizon. Your 35 feet number seems very wrong.
ChatGPT
I apologize for any confusion. You are correct that the distance at which you can see the horizon is greater than 35 feet when you are at an elevated position such as the 10th floor of a building.
Assuming ideal conditions with no obstacles blocking your line of sight, you should be able to see the horizon at a distance of approximately 11.3 miles (18.2 kilometers) from your position on the 10th floor. This distance is calculated based on the curvature of the Earth, which causes the horizon to appear at a distance that increases as your height above the ground increases.
However, the distance at which you can see specific landmarks beyond the horizon, such as the Canadian shore across Lake Erie, will depend on factors such as the height of the shore and any obstructions or atmospheric conditions that may affect visibility.
User
So, how high do I have to be on a clear day to see Canada from downtown Cleveland?
ChatGPT
On a clear day, it may be possible to see the Canadian shore from downtown Cleveland, but the specific height required to do so will depend on a number of factors, including your distance from the lake, the height of the Canadian shore, and atmospheric conditions.
Assuming ideal conditions, and using a standard refraction correction for light bending due to atmospheric conditions, you may be able to see the Canadian shore from a height of around 35-40 feet (10.7-12.2 meters) above the surface of Lake Erie. This is based on the curvature of the Earth and the distance of approximately 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Cleveland to the Canadian shore across the lake.
However, this is a rough estimate and visibility may vary depending on the specific conditions on the day you are observing. It is also worth noting that buildings or other obstructions along the shoreline can affect your visibility, so your actual height requirement may be higher than the theoretical estimate.
User
At 150 ft I've never seen Canada. The idea I can see it at 35-40 feet seems insane.
ChatGPT
I apologize for any confusion. The distance at which you can see the Canadian shore from downtown Cleveland is indeed much greater than what I previously stated. In reality, you would need to be at a much greater height above the ground to see across Lake Erie to the Canadian shore, due to the curvature of the Earth and the distance involved.
Based on the curvature of the Earth, you would need to be at a height of approximately 266 feet (81 meters) above the surface of Lake Erie to see a distant object on the Canadian shore from downtown Cleveland, assuming ideal conditions with no obstructions or atmospheric interference.
However, it's worth noting that the actual height required to see the Canadian shore may be higher due to atmospheric conditions or obstructions such as buildings or trees along the shoreline. Additionally, seeing a distant object across a large body of water can be difficult even from a great height, as the atmosphere can distort or obscure the view."
When AI eliminates gravity I will be impressed.
Behind this issue is the question of 'consciousness' -- where we still don't have a clue. We're like Lavoisier in the 18th Century -- as brilliant as he was -- before the righteous revolutionaries beheaded him -- and as skillful a chemist as he was, it required the 'paradigm shift' or conceptual leap involved in understanding the structure of the atom, and electron orbitals, before we could explain why zinc is more reactive than copper.
That's where we are with respect to consciousness/self-awareness now. No matter how well these machines imitate human conversation, we don't want to think that what we're dealing with is just an electronic human, any more than we're a meat computer. But that's an intuition, not an analysis.
All this was prefigured by John Searle's "Chinese Room" refutation of the validity of the 'Turing Test'. And anticipated over 40 years ago by Hubert Dreyfus, in his book WHAT COMPUTERS CAN'T DO -- although his target was the idea of thinking as symbol manipulation.
[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Dreyfus%27s_views_on_artificial_intelligence ]
It does feel slightly strange to be discussing this very interesting question as our civilization collapses, though.