So, I have access to ChatGPT-4o now. So far, so... mixed.
Q : Could you tell me a little bit about this paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.03601
[This is the one I posted yesterday]
A : Generic though not inaccurate response, except for : "The authors, led by Jonathan H. C. Rhee..."
This is not one of the authors. The first author is Xiao Li. Let's skip the boring and unhelpful discussion as to why it came up with this and get to the science.
Q : Can you spot any inaccuracies in the paper?
A : Identifying inaccuracies in a scientific paper requires a thorough understanding of the subject matter and often involves detailed analysis and peer review. If you have specific aspects of the paper you want to investigate for potential inaccuracies, I can help by examining those areas closely or by summarizing relevant findings from the text.
[Oh, thank you so much, how helpful !]
Q : Well that's why I'm asking you. Consider the major message of the paper and see if there's anything they present that contradicts this. Pay special attention to the appendix.
A : Long-winded generic answer about all the usual concerns about sample selection, data quality, statistics, etc., the kind of stuff that's true about literally every paper, e.g. " The authors could have provided more detailed explanations or additional analyses to support their conclusions, particularly when claiming the uniqueness of certain galaxy properties."
[Well, duh.]
Q : I'm asking if the paper makes any specific claims which are contradicted by other statements they make. I don't mean that their data might not be of the best quality or their methods flawed, I mean specific, direct contradictions.
A : Upon closely examining the paper "On the existence, rareness and uniqueness of quenched Hi-rich galaxies in the local Universe" and its appendix, one specific contradiction stands out:
Main Claim:
The paper's major claim is that they have identified a sample of quenched (i.e., no active star formation) yet HI-rich galaxies (referred to as RR galaxies) and that these galaxies are rare and unique in the local universe. The study emphasizes the rareness of such galaxies by comparing their HI richness to that of typical quenched galaxies, which are usually HI-poor.
Contradictory Statement in the Appendix:
In Appendix A, where the authors present optical images of the selected RR galaxies, they show the HI-to-stellar mass ratios for these galaxies. The paper discusses these galaxies as being "red but HI-rich." However, upon closer inspection of these images and the related text, it becomes apparent that some of the galaxies display features that are inconsistent with a fully quenched status. Specifically, some images suggest the presence of spiral arms or other structures typically associated with ongoing star formation, which contradicts the classification of these galaxies as fully quenched.
Bam. Perfect. Especially because the authors themselves do not remark on this. The damn thing can't read a bloody author list but it can spot features inconsistent with quenched galactic star formation. Thoroughly odd !
