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+--- Thread: From Sophists to Alchemists to AI Coders (/showthread.php?tid=2312)
From Sophists to Alchemists to AI Coders - Paul Ferguson - 08-12-2025
Dr. Marcus Doubtful, former quantum physicist turned philosopher of science & Dr. Andrew Sofist, a computational physicist and AI researcher who has just delivered a triumphant presentation on large language models' reasoning capabilities.
"Andrew: You're being dramatic, Marcus. We're not in crisis - we're making unprecedented progress.
Marcus: Are we? Or are we making the same mistake medieval alchemists made?
Andrew: I don't know what you're talking about. Can we stick to science please?
Marcus: Alchemists were the AI researchers of their time, Andrew. They performed elaborate experiments, followed complex procedures, occasionally achieved spectacular results. They could turn base metals into something that looked like gold, at least temporarily. They had impressive equipment, secretive methods, devoted followers.
Andrew: But that is pseudoscience..."
https://ocrampal.com/from-sophists-to-alchemists-to-ai-coders-the-technique-without-understanding/