This is where the Book of Mormon happened, according to AI

[Zosimus]

Decided this isn't the best platform for this exercise, its too difficult to format the data and the walls of text without discussion look ridiculous. 

I've moved to a wiki format over here. I'll do my best to provide unbiased data for each model, but the better approach is if someone takes ownership of each model and fills in the data templates. Will leave it open for volunteers.

Will also post the occasional updates here as I add new data or models. Always open to adjust the approach based on feedback.

https://zosimus.notion.site/5f3067e292744ff7a936f367f22a4903?v=48d94bfdc487488fa0f723be98e1f925&pvs=74

[BeNotDeceived]

On 12/23/2023 at 2:37 PM, Calm said:

By whom?

He goes by The Wicker Man on one forum, and went by his real name on another. 
 

Would posting a link be considered advertising a website as described in the rules?

[Calm]

On 3/9/2024 at 7:22 PM, BeNotDeceived said:

He goes by The Wicker Man on one forum, and went by his real name on another. 
 

Would posting a link be considered advertising a website as described in the rules?

I asked, so I think it is okay, though if you are concerned….to be open about my interest level, I am not that interested at this point.

Edited March 11 by Calm

[mfbukowski]

On 1/28/2024 at 10:27 AM, InCognitus said:

Not to mention using the Liahona for navigation, that would drive the AI crazy.

And so access to the greatest path to Jesus Christ and therefore for peace and love among all mankind is blocked by chickens.

Brilliant.

Almost makes one believe in a tangible Satan.  😳

[mfbukowski]

On 2/22/2024 at 2:44 AM, Zosimus said:

Decided this isn't the best platform for this exercise, its too difficult to format the data and the walls of text without discussion look ridiculous. 

😳

[BeNotDeceived]

On 12/23/2023 at 4:45 PM, BeNotDeceived said:

One purported to be The Davidic Servant says that the United Kingdom is the setting of the BOM. 

 

On 12/23/2023 at 5:37 PM, Calm said:

By whom?

 

On 3/9/2024 at 8:22 PM, BeNotDeceived said:

He goes by The Wicker Man on one forum, and went by his real name on another. 
 

Would posting a link be considered advertising a website as described in the rules?

 

On 3/10/2024 at 12:28 AM, Calm said:

I asked, so I think it is okay …

https://slogbog.com/viewtopic.php?t=1161 Is a new thread spy created.

[russianwolfe]

On 12/23/2023 at 2:21 AM, Zosimus said:

I suffered through this episode of Ward Radio and somewhere near the middle it became clear these guys don't know enough about history or geography to justify investing a full hour into listening. I thought, instead, why not find out what GPT-4 has to say about Book of Mormon geography?

Here was my first conversation with ChatGPT. I'll ask the bot more questions in upcoming replies below this thread but thought animals would be a good place to start.

Zosimus: Hello ChatGPT. I have a book that was published in 1830 that claims to contain a history of a people that lived between 2500 BC and 420 AD. I'd like to know where the events of the book happened, but all I know about the geographical setting is what the book has to say about the material culture of the people described in the book. I will give you a list of the animals found in the book and would like for you to give your best estimation of the geographical location. Are you ready?

GPT-4: Yes, I'm ready. Please provide the list of animals mentioned in the book, and I'll use that information to give my best estimation of the geographical location where the events of the book could have taken place.

Zosimus: Before we begin, let's categorize the world into 13 different regions. We can then give a score to each region, with a 10 being "extremely good convergence" and a 1 being an "extremely poor convergence". Here are the regions I propose: Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa:, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australasia/Oceania, North America, Central America, South America

GPT-4: Your approach for categorizing the world into 13 regions and scoring them based on the convergence of animal species mentioned in your book is a sound method for estimating the geographical setting. This method will allow us to assess which region most likely corresponds to the descriptions in the book, based on the historical presence of these animals from 2500 BC to 420 AD.

The scoring system, where 10 indicates "extremely good convergence" and 1 indicates "extremely poor convergence," will help quantify the fit of each region to the animal data you provide.

Please go ahead and list the animals mentioned in your book, and I will analyze and score each region accordingly.

Zosimus:  The book lists these animals as being present in the land during a period between 2500 BC and 600 BC: cattle, oxen, cows, sheep, swine, goats, horses, asses, elephants. The book also mentions these animals as being present in the land between 600 BC and 420 AD: cow, ox, ***, horse, goat, and wild goat. On a scale of 1 to 10, give a score to each region.

GPT-4: To assign a score to each region based on the presence of the specified animals in two distinct time periods (2500 BC to 600 BC, and 600 BC to 420 AD), we'll consider the historical distribution of these animals in each region. The score will be on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is an extremely poor convergence and 10 is an extremely good convergence.

Animals Listed:

2500 BC to 600 BC: cattle, oxen, cows, sheep, swine, goats, horses, asses, elephants
600 BC to 420 AD: cow, ox, ***, horse, goat, wild goat

Regional Scoring:

South Asia
Historically had all the listed animals, including elephants.
Score: 10/10

Southeast Asia
Similar to South Asia, with a history of these animals, including elephants.
Score: 10/10

Central Asia
Known for horses, livestock but not for elephants.
Score: 4/10

West Asia (Middle East)
Many of the animals were present, but elephants were uncommon.
Score: 4/10

East Asia
Had many of the animals, but elephants were less common.
Score: 3/10

North Africa
Had a history of animal domestication, but Asian elephants were not common.
Score: 3/10

Sub-Saharan Africa
Different environment; African elephants were present but not the Asian species.
Score: 3/10

Europe
Ancient Europe had cattle, oxen, cows, sheep, swine, goats, horses, and asses. Elephants were not common.
Score: 2/10

Australasia/Oceania
Lacks historical record of these domesticated animals, especially elephants.
Score: 1/10

North America
Did not have these domestic animals until post-Columbian times.
Score: 1/10

Central America
Similar to North America, lacking these domestic animals historically.
Score: 1/10

South America
Lacks historical presence of these specific domestic animals.
Score: 1/10

Zosimus:  Thanks, based on the animals described in the book, which region of the world is the most plausible geographical setting?

GPT-4: Based on the list of animals described in your book for two distinct periods (2500 BC to 600 BC and 600 BC to 420 AD), the most plausible geographical setting seems to be South Asia or Southeast Asia. This conclusion is drawn from the following key points:

Presence of a Wide Range of Domesticated Animals: Both South Asia and Southeast Asia historically had cattle, oxen, cows, sheep, swine, goats, horses, and asses, which aligns with the animals listed for the earlier period in your book.

Inclusion of Elephants: The presence of domesticated elephants is particularly indicative. Both South Asia and Southeast Asia have a long history of elephant domestication, especially the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus), which has been a significant part of the culture and economy in these regions. This aligns well with the animal list for the earlier period (2500 BC to 600 BC) in your book.

Continued Presence of Other Domesticated Animals in the Later Period: The animals listed for the later period (600 BC to 420 AD) are also consistent with what would be expected in these regions. The omission of swine and elephants in the later period could reflect changes in cultural practices, environmental factors, or simply a shift in focus within the narrative of the book.

Historical and Cultural Context: Both South Asia and Southeast Asia have rich and diverse histories that include the domestication and use of these animals. Their civilizations, including the Indus Valley Civilization in South Asia and various historical kingdoms in Southeast Asia, have shown evidence of such animal husbandry practices.

While this analysis is based on the animal evidence provided, it is essential to consider that the exact geographical setting might also depend on other factors in the book, such as descriptions of the landscape, climate, and cultural practices. However, based solely on the animal evidence, South Asia and Southeast Asia emerge as the most plausible regions.

Zosimus: Understood. We'll look at other factors in upcoming conversations. If you could keep tabs on the scoring for each topic we cover, we'll consider the final score at the end of our assessment.

GPT-4: Absolutely! I'll keep track of the scores from each conversation as we assess different factors. This will allow us to build a comprehensive evaluation of the most plausible geographical setting based on the cumulative information from your book. Feel free to provide more details or factors in future conversations, and I'll incorporate them into our ongoing analysis. Whenever you're ready to proceed with the next aspect of your assessment, just let me know!

Is there any way you could ask the question and allow for loan-shifting?