J Wolfgang GoerlichShel Silverstein doesn’t get nearly enough credit for predicting ChatGPT.
Martin Boller 
@jwgoerlich Shel Silverstein doesn’t get enough credit.
Martin Vermeer FCD@itisiboller @jwgoerlich Ah, I remember another gem from him
''Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… anything can happen, child. Anything can be.''
Minnà PandoraAn unsigned illustration showing a child holding in their hand a long paper coming from some kind of steampunk contraption they are looking at with a neutral face.
Title : Homework Machine
« The Homework Machine, oh the Homework Machine,
Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen,
Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,
Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds' time,
Your homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.
Here it is.— "nine plus four?" and the answer is "three."
Three?
Oh me ...
I guess it's not as perfect
As I thought it would be. »
–Read more poems in A light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein!
13 barn owls in a trenchcoat
WndlB@jwgoerlich @PatrickWirth And 'hallucinations.'
sabik@jwgoerlich
Alt text: text of a poem, with a cartoon illustration
Homework Machine
The Homework Machine,
Oh, the Homework Machine,
Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen.
Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,
Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds' time,
Your homework comes out, quick and clean as can be.
Here it is— "nine plus four?" and the answer is "three"'
Three?
Oh me . . .
I guess it's not as perfect
As I thought it would be.
Matt McIrvin@jwgoerlich If I recall correctly, in the full-size illustration in the book, there's another kid hiding inside the machine off to the right. Which I guess is apropos too.
@mattmcirvin Yeah! Someone sent me the other page. I had forgotten that.
Heather@mattmcirvin @jwgoerlich Thank you, that is what I was going to say!
Estarriol, Terrorist Dragon@jwgoerlich it is an AI machine using ChatGPT!
Qybat@jwgoerlich The "Engine" of Gulliver's Travels may also be a fitting prediction.
Ellie (migrated for summer)@jwgoerlich man, that metre is rough though
Oblomov@jwgoerlich #Alt4You
HOMEWORK MACHINE
The Homework Machine, oh the Homework Machine,
Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen,
Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime,
Snap on the switch, and in the seconds' time,
Your homework comes out, quic and clean as can be.
Here is—“nine plus four?"and the answer is “three.”
Three?
Oh me…
I guess it's not as perfect
as I thought it would be.
Image: a kid pulling a roll of paper from a mechanical contraption.
Third spruce tree on the left@jwgoerlich Do we credit him with forecasting gender fluidity with "A Boy Named Sue"?
(sorry, couldn't resist. of course gender fludity isn't a joke and has been around a lot longer than Johnny Cash; and the song isn't really about that either)
(fun fact: Silverstein and Cash and Willie Nelson were buds and used to get stoned together)
Amin Hollon 🏳Would happily boost this if you edit in alt text. :)
sandywb14@jwgoerlich Perfect.