Res Obscura

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Res Obscura - 历史和冷知识博客。

使用 LLM 追踪炼金术知识并破译 17 世纪信件

<p>我之前写过关于以及对于人工智能在增强历史研究方面来说,但自2024-25年以来,情况发生了重大变化。由于本周GPT-6 Sol和Opus 5.5的对抗发布,我想分享一些早期研究成果,他们不仅用于执行“研究助理”类功能,比如转录文档,更尝试解决现有的历史问题。</p><p>简而言之,将历史学家与当前的前沿模型结合起来,在我看来,将带来历史知识和解读的诸多进步。我猜这些进展可能会非常有意义。但直到去年,情况并非如此。<strong>我认为人工智能实验室、历史研究者和资助机构应该积极开展这些合作。</strong> </p><h3>寻找动力</h3><p>正如我们在数学领域所见,这些模型在拥有一套LLM通常描述为“可处理”的问题时表现最佳。换句话说:</p><p>• 该领域的专家是否已经识别出需要解决的问题?</p><p>• 回答这些问题所需的数据是否已完全数字化且可访问?</p><p>• 这些问题是否适合前沿AI模型的“尖锐”能力——即多语言推理、高级数学和/或通过大数据集或跨学科子领域自主开展研究的能力?</p><p>• 他们是否愿意接受需要编写定制代码的解决方案?</p><p>• 最重要的是:<em>潜在的解决方案能否被明确证明或否定?</em>(在我看来,最后这一点是为什么推理模型在数学领域盛行而在人文领域却不然的关键原因。)</p><p>上述因素意味着,前沿人工智能合理预期能够帮助解决的历史“未解决问题”类型相当有限:</p><ol><li><strong>任何涉及密码学和破译的内容</strong>(例如,参见以及一个,或者说</li></ol>
评论点赞收藏5 天前

毁掉马克·吐温一生的"机械奇迹"

马克·吐温把全部身家押在一台名为Paige Compositor的自动排字机上,最终破产。这台机器有18000多个零件,理论上比Linotype更先进,却因过于复杂无法量产和维修。 Linotype赢在重新设计了任务——直接铸整行字,而不是模仿排字工人的动作。文章提炼三条可迁移的经验:可维护性比完美更重要、社会对颠覆性技术的接受速度远低于发明者预期、成功的技术往往重新设计任务而非复制人类劳动。 作者认为这条从19世纪排字机到现代AI的路径清晰可见。
评论点赞收藏56 天前

优质的非虚构书籍是AI垃圾内容的反面

<p>在我大学的第一年,我做了一份工读兼职,而这份工作最终成了我一生中最隐秘却至关重要的知识体验之一。我只是一个普通的图书馆书架管理员,被安排在美国国会图书馆的分类体系中,负责整理A至F类别的书架:这些书主要涉及宗教、哲学、社会学和历史。<br><br>之所以说“隐秘而重要”,是因为乍一看,在图书馆里整理书籍简直无聊透顶。从实际操作上讲,就是逐一阅读书上的标签,然后把书放到它该在的书架上——每班次要重复上千次。</p><p>为了打发枯燥乏味的时间,我决定在自己整理的每一本书中,随机翻到一页,并从中读出一句随机的句子。通常,我都会就此停下——在一段匈牙利古典文学的篇章前卡壳……</p>
评论点赞收藏70 天前

What Is Happening to Publishing?

The big news in the world of writing today is the controversy over the award of a Commonwealth Foundation Short Story Prize to a story called “The Serpent in the Grove.” The piece was almost certainly...
评论点赞收藏133 天前

Photos from my time in Iran, 2017

Lately I’ve been reading Ron Chernow’s lively and well-written biography of Mark Twain, one of my personal heroes. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people...
评论点赞收藏183 天前

The history of knocking on wood

My younger daughter, Nava, turned two last week. Among her favorite phrases are “No, Nava do it ” and “what da HECK.” Her favorite music, by a wide margin, is Elton John. And her favorite gesture is a...
评论点赞收藏218 天前

The Age of Books and the Age of Brainrot

Derek Thompson’s recent essay, “The End of Thinking,” states the problem faced by educators today more clearly than anything else I’ve read. “I am much more concerned about the decline of today’s thin...
评论点赞收藏323 天前

OpenAI's "Study Mode" and the risks of flattery

“Study Mode,” a new educational feature released yesterday by OpenAI to much fanfare, was inevitable. The roadblocks were few. Leaders of educational institutions seem lately to be in a sort of race t...
评论点赞收藏426 天前

Why were Belle Époque cities beautiful?

As a kid growing up in the Bay Area, I often visited San Francisco’s Exploratorium science museum. Back in the 90s and 2000s, it was housed in what I still think is one of the most beautiful buildings...
评论点赞收藏496 天前

Happy Lupercalia

Both of our daughters, ages 1 and 3, are home sick with bronchitis, so the post I had planned is delayed until next week. But I did want to make a small request: if you have any interest at all in sup...
评论点赞收藏593 天前

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