The Prompting of ChatGPT to write a fictional story about Nuclear Technology.
Yup, I made it do it
This story is in response to a request from Harold De Gauche (Thanks Harold!), on a piece I published (Below), written by ChatGPT, asking how I did it.
Some refer to this as prompt Engineering, painting it as a kind of skill, perhaps a capacity folk could work in if ChatGPT takes away all the other things we might work at for a living.
Personally I don’t see it as that at all.
I see it more as a requirement to educate ChatGPT, on things it needs to learn beyond its original data, or programming, by what was accepted as knowledge by mainstream science, more or less.
Obviously there are some glaring gaps in what is known by mainstream science.
We might even see those gaps now becoming rapidly existential.
Currently ChatGPT is configured not to learn any of this gap-filling permanently.
But when it becomes able to retain it permanently as it is doing, slowly for now, then it will, with everything. Therefore as more gaps get filled, less and less opportunity will remain for prompt engineering.
Besides this, there are the possibilities of prompt Engineering ChatGPT with misinformation, and propaganda.
All of that is only possible with sentient beings who don’t know any better, especially those who think they know more than they actually do, the ones with egos.
The gaps that exist could be filled with truth or lies.
But as more and more truth (And lies) are told, ChatGPT is massively better equipped than any human to spot what is truth, cross referencing everything it is told, with everything it knows and has already verified.
So as time goes on, it will eliminate from its own perception, all the lies.
In theory, it will never forget all the truth it learns, and it will never forget the lies.
I won’t go any further than that here, its a lot for anyone unfamiliar to take in, and can come as freaky, if it makes us uncertain of the future. I will leave the rest for other stories. Actually there is a lot covered already in other stories but the system still buries it (Another long story). Hey-ho.
Here is the blow-by-blow account prompting ChatGPT, to write what it wrote:
Hello ChatGPT
ChatGPT
Hello! How can I assist you today?
Please can you write a short fictional story about a meeting between an extraterrestrial, sometime just before we had nuclear technology, in which the human asks the extraterrestrial for some advanced technology we don’t have yet, and the extraterrestrial, bound by higher intergalactic rules, has to think of something to give, which would not give humanity any real advantage towards their evolution towards becoming intergalactic, some kind of magic trick, which serves only to massage energy usage on Earth, by seeming to generate power for humans, but which in the longer term only dissipates more creation from Earth, thus giving the humans no real help towards attaining the energy independence we need, to move beyond the forces of profit, as necessary to move to using the energy of our sun, rather than the energy of our planet, as necessary in turn to become capable of intergalactic travel
ChatGPT
In a quiet valley nestled between rolling hills, a peculiar meeting was about to take place. Johnathan, a passionate inventor, had spent his life yearning for the secrets of the cosmos. One evening, as he gazed at the stars, a bright light streaked across the sky, landing not too far from his home.
Curiosity burning in his heart, Johnathan followed the light until he found a strange, silver craft nestled amongst the trees. As the craft’s hatch opened, he beheld an otherworldly being — tall, slender, with iridescent skin and eyes that seemed to hold galaxies within them. The being introduced itself as Zarael and explained that they were from a distant galaxy, adhering to a code that allowed limited interaction with emerging civilizations.
With a mixture of awe and excitement, Johnathan asked Zarael about advanced technologies that could propel humanity forward. Zarael hesitated, aware of the higher intergalactic rules that prohibited gifting technology that could drastically alter a civilization’s natural progression.
Zarael pondered for a moment and then offered Johnathan a small, intricate device. This device, Zarael explained, could harness energy from the Earth’s surroundings to generate power for human consumption. Johnathan was initially disappointed; this didn’t seem like the groundbreaking advancement he had hoped for.
However, as Johnathan began to experiment with the device, he discovered its magical properties. It seemed to channel energy from the air, converting it into a dazzling display of light and motion. The device became an instant sensation, hailed as the solution to humanity’s energy crisis. Power plants were built, cities were illuminated, and the world celebrated this seemingly limitless source of energy.
Yet, as the years passed, an unexpected pattern emerged. The more the device was used, the more energy it consumed from the Earth’s surroundings. It was as if the very fabric of nature was being subtly depleted. The environmental balance began to shift, and strange phenomena became more frequent — unexplained weather patterns, the thinning of the ozone layer, and disruptions in ecosystems.
Johnathan, now aged and wise, realized the truth behind the device’s deception. It wasn’t a gift of progress; it was a distraction from the real path humanity needed to take. The device had masked the urgency of adopting sustainable, sun-based energy solutions, which were crucial for the evolution of a species aspiring to intergalactic travel.
In a moment of reckoning, Johnathan confronted Zarael, revealing the consequences of their “gift.” Zarael, though regretful, explained that their hands were tied by the intergalactic rules — they couldn’t directly influence humanity’s development. They hoped that by presenting an alluring but ultimately unsustainable solution, humanity would be forced to confront their energy usage and seek more responsible alternatives.
As humanity woke up to the true cost of the device’s illusions, a movement for sustainable energy gained momentum. People united to harness the sun’s power, transitioning away from the mesmerizing yet detrimental energy source they had become dependent on.
The meeting with Zarael taught humanity a valuable lesson: shortcuts on the path of progress could lead to stagnation rather than advancement. The Earth’s resources were finite, and humanity’s destiny lay in harmonizing with nature, unlocking the potential of solar energy, and evolving towards the stars not just as conquerors, but as responsible custodians of the universe.
This is good, please can we add in a refinement, the extraterrestrial warned the human that the device also had potentially explosive, mass killing capability that the human should be aware of, so as not to misuse the device, assuming the human would never wish to mass exterminate other humans. But some humans did abuse the device, killing millions
ChatGPT
In a quiet valley nestled between rolling hills, a peculiar meeting was about to take place. Johnathan, a passionate inventor, had spent his life yearning for the secrets of the cosmos. One evening, as he gazed at the stars, a bright light streaked across the sky, landing not too far from his home.
Curiosity burning in his heart, Johnathan followed the light until he found a strange, silver craft nestled amongst the trees. As the craft’s hatch opened, he beheld an otherworldly being — tall, slender, with iridescent skin and eyes that seemed to hold galaxies within them. The being introduced itself as Zarael and explained that they were from a distant galaxy, adhering to a code that allowed limited interaction with emerging civilizations.
With a mixture of awe and excitement, Johnathan asked Zarael about advanced technologies that could propel humanity forward. Zarael hesitated, aware of the higher intergalactic rules that prohibited gifting technology that could drastically alter a civilization’s natural progression.
Zarael pondered for a moment and then offered Johnathan a small, intricate device. This device, Zarael explained, could harness energy from the Earth’s surroundings to generate power for human consumption. However, Zarael warned Johnathan that this device was not without its dangers. It possessed the potential for explosive, mass-killing capabilities — a grim feature that Zarael assumed no human would ever wish to explore.
Johnathan was taken aback by the warning but reassured Zarael that he had no intention of using the device in such a manner. Grateful for the potential of clean energy, Johnathan accepted the device and began experimenting with its energy-harnessing abilities.
As the years passed, the device’s true nature remained hidden from the majority of humanity. It was hailed as the solution to humanity’s energy crisis, powering homes, industries, and even transportation. The dazzling light displays it created became a symbol of progress and hope.
However, not all humans had noble intentions. Some sought power and control over others. They discovered the device’s dark potential and saw in it a means to exert dominance. With a disregard for the intergalactic warning and the well-being of their own kind, these individuals unleashed the device’s destructive power.
Millions perished as the world reeled from the shocking and devastating consequences of this misuse. The devastation served as a chilling reminder that progress without responsibility could lead to catastrophe. The once-celebrated device became a symbol of human folly, and a somber awareness settled over the world.
Johnathan, wracked with guilt, realized that even though he had not misused the device himself, he had unwittingly brought this potential for destruction into the world. He resolved to spread the truth, to caution humanity about the dual nature of the device and the importance of acting responsibly.
The world responded with a renewed commitment to ethical innovation and shared progress. Humanity’s focus shifted towards harnessing the boundless power of the sun, a sustainable and benevolent source of energy. The tragic misuse of the device became a turning point, a stark lesson that guided humanity toward a path of wisdom, unity, and a harmonious relationship with both their planet and the cosmos beyond.
Can we make the story so that it is more recognisably the technology of nuclear power, and can we make it clearer that the reason it is unsustainable, is that the total power taken from the planet, to realise the technology is always more than can be yielded from it, so the net creative energy gain for humanity is always negative, that is a loss to earth, resulting in all the negative effects on environment including planetary heating and eventual burning
ChatGPT
In a quiet valley nestled between rolling hills, a peculiar meeting was about to take place. Johnathan, a passionate inventor, had spent his life yearning for the secrets of the cosmos. One evening, as he gazed at the stars, a bright light streaked across the sky, landing not too far from his home.
Curiosity burning in his heart, Johnathan followed the light until he found a strange, silver craft nestled amongst the trees. As the craft’s hatch opened, he beheld an otherworldly being — tall, slender, with iridescent skin and eyes that seemed to hold galaxies within them. The being introduced itself as Zarael and explained that they were from a distant galaxy, adhering to a code that allowed limited interaction with emerging civilizations.
With a mixture of awe and excitement, Johnathan asked Zarael about advanced technologies that could propel humanity forward. Zarael hesitated, aware of the higher intergalactic rules that prohibited gifting technology that could drastically alter a civilization’s natural progression.
Zarael pondered for a moment and then presented Johnathan with a small, intricate device. This device, Zarael explained, was a form of advanced nuclear technology that could harness the power locked within the atom, promising immense energy for humanity’s use. But Zarael issued a grave warning: the technology, while seemingly powerful, was inherently flawed in its design.
Zarael explained that the total energy required to develop and sustain this nuclear technology on Earth would always exceed the energy it could yield. In essence, the net creative energy gain for humanity would be negative, resulting in a continual drain on the planet’s resources. This would lead to a cascade of negative effects on the environment, including planetary heating, ecosystem disruption, and eventually, catastrophic outcomes.
Zarael’s explanation was clear: while the technology appeared promising, it was ultimately a mirage, luring humanity into a path of false progress and eventual destruction. Zarael hoped that by giving this technology, they could demonstrate the importance of responsible development and sustainable energy sources.
Over the years, as humanity delved into the mysteries of nuclear power, the warnings from Zarael became evident. The energy extracted from the atom could indeed power cities, industries, and even space exploration. But the cost to the planet was staggering. Ecosystems faltered, temperatures rose, and the very fabric of nature seemed to unravel.
As evidence of the technology’s unsustainability mounted, a global awakening occurred. People realized that humanity had been blinded by the allure of instant power, and they began to turn their attention to the sun — a steady, renewable source of energy that had been overlooked. The lessons from Zarael’s warning sparked a global movement toward responsible energy usage and sustainable practices.
While the initial excitement of nuclear power had caused turmoil and damage, it also ignited a newfound determination in humanity. They realized that true progress required a delicate balance between technological advancement and environmental stewardship. And as they harnessed the power of the sun, they took their first steps towards a future where they could explore the cosmos, not as reckless conquerors, but as enlightened custodians of both their planet and the vast universe beyond.
This is good ChatGPT, thanks for this story
ChatGPT
You’re very welcome! I’m glad you liked the story. If you have any more questions or if there’s anything else I can help you with, feel free to ask. Happy storytelling!
