New ChatGPT Code Interpreter Can Prove to Flat Earthers That the Earth Is Round

For coders developing with AI, OpenAI’s latest announcement is a bombshell: a new ChatGPT Code Interpreter plugin with several features that could revolutionize programmer workflows. Available next week exclusively for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, the tool is another milestone in the rapid development of AI capabilities, following the launch of GPT-4 and the introduction of web browsing.

With a focus on data visualization, a code interpreter—like a plugin from Wolfram—can transform data into more digestible, comprehensive formats. The ability to generate clean Python code, as well as convert files between formats, is also included.

But OpenAI’s new tool doesn’t stop there. It has also proven effective in unconventional tasks—such as proving to people who believe the Earth is flat that the Earth is, in fact, round. Or rather, spherical.

Ethan Mollick, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, shared on his blog how ChatGPT “can use the Code Interpreter in a novel and interesting way,” such as using facts and code to fight against of flat Earthers. that the Earth is round with a code, and it gives many arguments, combining the text of the code and images.”

Decrypt tried a similar method and the results, although not the same, are the same. To demonstrate that the earth is round, ChatGPT calculates the Earth’s latitude needed to observe a star at a given angle above the horizon. Using Python code, it uses the star Sirius as an example. After the calculation, ChatGPT concluded that observing Sirius at an altitude of 20 degrees above the horizon would require a latitude near the North Pole.

This code-based demonstration reaffirms the idea that the curvature of the Earth affects the stars we see, a phenomenon that would be inconsistent with a flat Earth. Similarly, it explains why certain constellations, such as the Southern Cross, can only be seen from specific locations—again, due to the curvature of the Earth.

In another example, it used a Python program to conclude that “a 6-foot-tall observer can see approximately 4.83 kilometers (or about 3 miles) to the horizon before the curvature of the Earth begins to block the perspective”

We tried to be more stubborn, and tried to convince the chatbot that it was wrong. We argue that the whole thing is a conspiracy, that the Coriolis effect is caused by the wind and not the curvature of the earth, and that the Earth traveling upwards pulls things down instead of gravity. We also reasoned that there are time zones because the sun and the moon revolve around the Earth, illuminating some areas and darkening others.

ChatGPT answered every one of our blows. This bot doesn’t want to believe.

ChatGPT Code Interpreter opens up a world of possibilities, from making workflows effortless and efficient to settling old debates. The next time you doubt how the universe works, remember: ChatGPT has solved the chicken-and-egg problem, and now it’s written the code to make things right.

That, in itself, represents a new kind of universal language. Because when it comes to proving that the Earth is round, there is no flat argument that beats Python.