• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Cont: Musk buys Twitter II

Andy_Ross said:
Elon says
Grok 4 is at the point where it essentially never gets math/physics exam questions wrong, unless they are skillfully adversarial.

It can identify errors or ambiguities in questions, then fix the error in the question or answer each variant of an ambiguous question.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1943230468519788551
Click to expand...

Can it calculate the impact force of a sinking ship on the ocean floor based on water pressure?
 
P.J. Denyer said:
If a ground dwelling rodent of approximately 6kg body weight could chuck wood, how much wood would it chuck?
Click to expand...
AI (Co-pilot) says:

How Much Wood Could a 6 kg Ground-Dwelling Rodent Chuck?​

Assumptions and Analogies​

  • The rodent weighs approximately 6 kg, comparable to a medium-sized woodchuck.
  • We assume its “wood-chucking” ability mirrors its burrowing/digging prowess.
  • Wildlife biologists have estimated that a woodchuck moves about 700 lb (≈318 kg) of earth when excavating a burrow.

Calculation Breakdown​

  1. Estimate daily earth displacement
    • A typical woodchuck can excavate roughly 700 lb (318 kg) of soil in constructing burrows.
  2. Translate earth displacement to wood volume
    • Assuming similar effort, the rodent could chuck a comparable mass of wood per day.
    • Wood density varies, but taking an average of 0.6 g/cm³ means 1 m³ of wood weighs about 600 kg.
  3. Convert mass to volume (optional)
    • 318 kg of wood ÷ 600 kg/m³ ≈ 0.53 m³ of wood daily.

Estimated Chucking Capacity​

MetricValue
Mass of wood chucked per day≈318 kg (700 lb)
Volume of wood per day≈0.53 m³
Mass of wood per hour (8 h)≈40 kg (88 lb)

Conclusion​

If a 6 kg ground-dwelling rodent could chuck wood with the same vigor it uses to dig, it would realistically move around 318 kg (700 lb) of wood in a single day—about half a cubic meter of timber.
Click to expand...
Grok says:
To determine how much wood a ground-dwelling rodent weighing approximately 6kg could chuck if it had the ability to do so, we need to identify a suitable rodent and estimate its wood-chucking capacity based on reasonable assumptions. Let’s break this down step-by-step.Step 1: Identify the RodentA ground-dwelling rodent weighing around 6kg points us toward the woodchuck, also known as a groundhog. Woodchucks typically weigh between 4 and 6kg, fitting the query’s description closely. While woodchucks are burrowing animals and don’t naturally chuck wood (unlike beavers, which are semi-aquatic and known for wood-related activities), the question poses a hypothetical scenario where this rodent can chuck wood. Thus, the woodchuck is a plausible candidate, especially given its association with the tongue-twister: “How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”Step 2: Interpret “Chuck Wood”The phrase “chuck wood” suggests moving or throwing wood, likely inspired by the tongue-twister. Since woodchucks don’t naturally process wood, we need an estimate based on their physical capabilities or a playful, traditional answer adapted to this hypothetical scenario. One approach is to equate wood-chucking to their known ability to move material (like soil) and adjust for wood, while another is to draw from the tongue-twister’s informal estimates.Step 3: Estimate Based on Digging AbilityWoodchucks are adept diggers, excavating burrows by moving significant amounts of soil. Some sources estimate that a woodchuck can displace up to 700 pounds of dirt when constructing a burrow, though this occurs over days or weeks, not a single day. For simplicity, let’s consider this as a proxy for effort. If a woodchuck can move 700 pounds of soil over time, we might hypothesize it could move a similar weight in wood if it had the ability.
  • Convert to metric units: 700 pounds is approximately 318 kg (since 1 pound ≈ 0.453592 kg, so 700 × 0.453592 = 317.5144 kg, rounded to 318 kg).
  • Adjust for daily effort: Building a burrow is a multi-day task, but if we assume this 318 kg of soil is moved over, say, a week (a reasonable timeframe for significant burrow construction), that’s about 45 kg of soil per day. If wood-chucking effort is comparable, the woodchuck might move 45 kg of wood daily. However, the 700-pound figure is often cited as a total capacity in humorous contexts, so let’s explore it as a potential single-day estimate instead.
Step 4: Consider the Tongue-Twister ContextThe tongue-twister doesn’t provide a scientific answer, but a popular response suggests a woodchuck could chuck “700 pounds of wood” if it could. This figure likely stems from the soil-moving estimate, repurposed humorously for wood. Since the query is hypothetical and echoes this playful tone, 700 pounds (318 kg) is a reasonable starting point. Let’s test its plausibility.Step 5: Plausibility Check with Wood VolumeWood has a different density than soil, so let’s convert this weight to volume for context:
  • Wood density: Depending on the type, wood density ranges from 500 to 1000 kg/m³. Assuming an average density of 600 kg/m³ (typical for many hardwoods):
  • Volume calculation: 318 kg ÷ 600 kg/m³ = 0.53 m³ (approximately).
A cubic meter of wood is a substantial amount—visualize a cube 1 meter on each side. Half a cubic meter (0.53 m³) is still significant but not impossible for a strong, industrious 6kg animal if it were adapted to move wood. For comparison, beavers (larger rodents at 20-30kg) can move multiple trees’ worth of wood daily, though they’re specialized for it. Scaling down, 0.53 m³ might overestimate a woodchuck’s capacity, but in a hypothetical scenario, it aligns with the exaggerated tone of the tongue-twister.Step 6: Alternative EstimateIf 318 kg seems high, consider a woodchuck’s physical limits. A 6kg animal might move objects a fraction of its weight per trip (e.g., 0.5 kg logs) and make multiple trips daily. However, this yields smaller amounts (e.g., 5-10 kg/day), which feels underwhelming for the query’s intent. The 318 kg figure, while bold, better suits the hypothetical and cultural context.ConclusionGiven the rodent is a 6kg ground-dweller (likely a woodchuck) and the question invites a speculative answer, the traditional estimate of 700 pounds—approximately 318 kg—fits well. It reflects the woodchuck’s potential effort (mirroring its soil-moving capacity) and honors the playful spirit of the query. Thus, if a woodchuck could chuck wood, it might reasonably chuck:318 kg of wood.
Click to expand...

They both came back with 318kg!
 
Last edited:
Andy_Ross said:
Elon says
Grok 4 is at the point where it essentially never gets math/physics exam questions wrong, unless they are skillfully adversarial.

It can identify errors or ambiguities in questions, then fix the error in the question or answer each variant of an ambiguous question.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1943230468519788551
Click to expand...
Is that Deed tweeter another Musk sock I wonder? He has so many, it's hard to keep track.
 
there’s also this weird psychological math combo trick where some people can’t stop themselves from doubling down on being wrong an infinite number of times
 
dirtywick said:
there’s also this weird psychological math combo trick where some people can’t stop themselves from doubling down on being wrong an infinite number of times
Click to expand...
Nah, that's impossible. Please cite ten thousand examples of that happening right on this very messageboard.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom