The Trinity Inquirer Issue 9 – May 2023

The Trinity Inquirer

Founded August 27th, 2020

Contents:

- On Being Human - Editorial - Page 1

- What is Truth? - Big Questions - Page 2

- Why Everyone Should Fly - SpotlightPages 3&4

- Loading... - Opinion - Page 5

- Amnesty International - Clubs & Societies - Page 6

- ChatGPT and The Rise of AI - NewsPages 7&8

- Challenge Yourself - CompetitionsPage 9

- Chess Puzzles - Puzzles - Page 10

Contributors: William Johnson, Darcy Waugh, Michael Fan, Edward Peng, Jay Cleland, Ren-Hao Chan, Justin Kwong, Mrs Angela Kotsiras, Lucas van den Berg, Alastair Murphy

Editorial On Being Human

At the time we write this latest edition of the Inquirer, nothing could be more topical than the accelerated rise of Artificial Intelligence in the public domain. Suddenly, churning out answers, essays, reports, even art is no longer limited to the human mind. For some, this is incredible – a shining beacon of the ingenuity of humanity – but for others, it is alarming, as it brings into question the very uniqueness, and perhaps even value, of a ‘human’ thought. After all, what is the point of answering something for ourselves when we could give it to an algorithm instead?

The answer to that is the same that it has always been. As a society, we answer questions, we think, we ponder and we critique (as we always have, and always will), not ultimately because we are forced to –even if much of it at school may feel like that – but because as a collective we want to. Why? Because we have an insatiable curiosity, and it drives many of the progressions and advancements that have transformed humanity throughout the ages, building not only on technologies, but arts, learning and culture. We seek answers, and along that often windy and unclear road, we can indeed find more than we first asked. And so, to respond to a question merely for the sake of answering one; perhaps that is no longer unique. But to answer a question as an exploration and expression of one’s experience of life – to explore indeed the depths of ‘truth’, the self, our world as we understand it - remains a human feat alone, and a hallmark in itself of the consciousness that quintessentially defines the human experience.

Yet, our curiosity does not start with the search for an answer, but with the articulation of the question –and sometimes, that first question is more important that any individual answer it uncovers. Ultimately, this new stage of technology is a reminder that to be human is to think for ourselves, to question and inquire unprompted; and that is the one thing that no algorithm, program, or whatever else may come, can ever take away. The value of the human mind lies not only in its ability to answer, but its ability to ask in the first place. And thus, the danger was never in rendering thought obsolete, but in letting our minds and questions decay. So embrace your questions, arm yourself with curiosity, and go forth to explore our ever changing world not because you have to, but because you choose to.

- Lucas van den Berg

1

What is Truth?

Big Questions

As a budding scientist struggling his way through VCE physics, I have always appreciated how science is able to communicate the truth to us. How does ice keep my water bottle cold? Heat transfer. How did I grow to have such a huge head? Evolution. On most days I find myself rather satisfied with this scientific description of the truth – models and rules that do their best to describe objective reality.

On occasion though, I find myself searching for a deeper truth – looking for something to make sense of my life beyond what is purely physical. I can appreciate that every decision of mine can be reduced to the chemical reactions in my head, but it doesn’t intuitively feel that way. The reasoning (or lack thereof) behind every decision I make feels thought out by processes far less physical. In fact, my personal experience of self is incompatible with the science that describes it; the former is effusive and emotional while the latter is objective and concrete.

I do not mean to suggest that I am doubtful of science in this way – I do believe that consciousness is objectively a physical phenomenon. It is simply that as far as my interactions with the world are concerned, this scientific truth no longer describes my intuitive experience.

This beckons the fundamental question, what is the truth? Is it the most precise description of reality? Is it always objective? I will not approach the question in a purely logical sense, partly because it is beyond my capabilities and partly because I don’t think it is constructive.

To me, the truth in a human sense is entirely contextual. On a personal level, this is obviously apparent when we evaluate our surroundings. The statement, “that is a beautiful dress”, will never be unconditionally true – it depends on what that is referring to as well as the stylistic preferences of the person speaking the words. On a very semantic level, it even depends on what each of the words like dress mean in the language spoken. This is a very literal example of how truth for humans is at best circumstantial.

Additionally, the truth is inextricably linked to time; the statement, “I am having fun”, appears true when the person saying it is at a concert, but seems more ironic in the context of an exam. It is also worth considering how the acquisition of knowledge impacts our perception of the truth. If someone you once called a good person turned out to be a criminal, would you really say that in the past you had lied?

This leads me to what I believe is the closest thing to the truth that we can achieve; a statement said in complete congruence with a person’s consciousness. If you honestly have not the slightest doubt about the logical or moral underpinnings of an assertion you make – it is impossible to refute that, at least as far as we are concerned, it is the truth. Now, not everything that fits this definition is objectively accurate – but that isn’t the point of the definition. As humans we are biased and opinionated, and these two facts make it almost impossible to assert anything that is axiomatically true.

The best we can do is act honestly, in accordance with our consciousness, to best describe and recount the small patch of reality that we so blissfully inhabit.

- William Johnson

Why Everyone Should Fly

Flying is the experience of soaring, it is seemingly magical, it is embracing the endless possibilities of technology and constantly being reminded of how far we have come as people.

It is the amalgamation of skill, hard work, organisation and physics resulting in pure beauty.

I’m Darcy, a Year 12 at Trinity and I have a passion for aviation. I currently hold a Private Pilot’s Licence and simply want everyone to feel the joy that aviation brings to me. If you meet me the conversation will almost always result in aviation; I love answering questions, discussing and arguing about anything aviation. I have been granted the opportunity to fly and want to share it with as many people as possible and tell you that nearly everyone can.

My first flight was in a Cessna 152, and it was probably one of the best experiences of my life. Growing up wanting to be a pilot and then being able to advance the throttle and pull back on the yoke was so exciting. It is a memory I will never forget.

General Aviation:

This is every non-commercial aviation activity. It provides a way for regular people to admire the sky; a place where freedom, adventure and opportunity meet.

Why I think it’s amazing is how flexible it is. Most General Aviation pilots fly into smaller airports and just fly for fun. You are able to fly on your own schedule wherever you want. If the weather looks good this weekend they just fly. Depending on your aircraft, be it fast, aerobatic, STOL; there are endless options of places to fly. Some planes can even land on the beach. The freedom is truly what makes it. While small aircraft are quite different from large commercial jets the basic principles are the same. The four main forces involved are lift, weight, thrust and drag; it is these fundamentals which underpin all flying objects.

So how does a plane fly? The wing; an amazing invention and also interesting physics problem. There are two theories which are currently accepted. The two sides are the “Bernoulli” position, that lift is generated by a pressure difference above and below the wing, and the “Newton” position, that lift is the reaction force on the wing caused by deflecting airflow down.

The “Bernoulli” theory is defined by Bernoulli’s equation which relates pressure in a gas to its local velocity, that is, when a body of gas is moving faster its pressure is lower. Numerous experiments have shown particles move faster over the top of an aerofoil than the bottom of an aerofoil resulting in a lower air pressure above and higher air pressure below. This in turn creates an upwards or lift force on the aircraft.

The “Newton” theory is simply Newton’s third law of motion – every action (force) has an equal and opposite reaction. The wing exerts a force on the air around it, pushing or deflecting it down, and the equal and opposite reaction force is then an upwards force on the wing, or lift.

However, both these theories are valid, and are simply different explanations for the same phenomenon.

Why Everyone Should Fly

How a Small Aircraft Cockpit works:

GARMIN

shows; wind direction and speed, heading, distance to next waypoint and track direciton.

Elevator Trim Wheel

Engine Instruments; Fuel Gauge - left and right tank, Fuel Flow, Exhaust Gas Temperature, Oil - Temperature and Pressure, Ammeter

Commercial Aviation:

Throttle Mixture Control

Flap Control. This Cessna 172 has; 0°,10°, 20° and 40° of flaps. These provide more lift which is required when flying slower.

Audio Panel: This attains information from the two NAV/COMM units and provides the Radio Communication to the pilot and Ground Based Navigation signals to the relevant instruments.

GPS and Transponder: The GPS provides the aircraft’s position using up to 15 different satelites in a method called trilateration. The transponder is a tool used to show the aircraft’s position and altitude to Air Traffic Control. It transmits a 4-digit code allowing ATC to determine which aircraft is which.

ELT: Emergency Location Transmitter

Navigation and Communication Radio: This allows the pilot to listen/talk to ATC and other pilots while flying. The Navigation component uses a frequency which links with a ground based Navigation Aid such as a VOR or ILS.

Commercial aviation is the section of the aviation industry concerned with the transportation of passengers and cargo for a profit. Commercial aviation can take many forms including small charters, FIFO work, regional mail operations, large freight and most wellknown airlines transporting hundreds of passengers at a time.

Commercial aviation is a dance relying on a sophisticated system of technology and infrastructure in order to get every flight departing and arriving on time. Air traffic control is one of the most important roles in commercial aviation as their small decisions can affect the safety and efficiency of any aircraft.

Despite their differences, General and Commercial aviation are united by the exhilaration of flight. Whether I am flying myself in a little Cessna to Bendigo for lunch or on an A380 flying half way across the world I am always excited. The thrill of soaring through the sky and experiencing the world from a completely different perspective is inspiring with every flight being a new adventure.

Ultimately, I wish everyone can experience and share the passion for aviation and anything that flies because it is truly remarkable.

- Darcy Waugh

Opinion Loading...

Recently, I was fortunate enough to attend a conference with the AGSV School Captains and their respective Principals. It was a nice opportunity to meet some fellow counterparts, but one thing from the day stood out to me. In greeting us, the Camberwell Head of Senior School said something that I’ve remembered ever since. He told us that as leaders, we’re not the finished product, and we shouldn’t expect ourselves to be.

Wherever we are, we often expect too much of ourselves. We look up to someone who’s older than us, more experienced than us and beat ourselves

up because we’re not like them. But that shouldn’t be what we do. Everyone is different. We take different paths, and end up in different places, places that aren’t necessarily better or worse and so it’s no use to compare ourselves to others.

Not only as leaders, but as students and as people, it’s so important for us to be kinder on ourselves, to acknowledge the things that we’ve already done, the things that we can do, and move forward from that.

We often see leadership as defined roles, as achievements, when in reality, it isn’t that at all. Leadership is a skill and it’s gained through experience, something that you can perpetually improve and change. In speaking to us, Camberwell’s Mrs Hill equivalent confessed that as teachers, they have the chance to do things again and again, whereas us, as Year 12’s, have one year to learn and do everything. We shouldn’t expect to be a finished product at the start of the year, because we aren’t. The purpose of going through Year 12, going through positions of leadership, is to learn about yourself and about those you lead. What would be the point of being a Captain if you could do everything perfect from the very start? The school could simply employ professionals to do that, but no, it’s about learning to be leaders yourselves. And it’s relevant even without formal roles. No one expects you to know everything, to be able to do everything, and so take the opportunities you have, to learn and to improve, because that’s what they are there for.

They say that Leonardo da Vinci took four years to paint the Mona Lisa, repainting and perfecting every aspect. And that’s exactly the same with us and our leadership. It’s impossible that our first draft, our first version of ourselves is perfect. Rather, whether you’re starting your journey through the Senior School in Year 7, or ending it in Year 12, we should take opportunities to learn, be kinder on ourselves and know that our best version yet is still coming.

- Michael Fan

Amnesty International

Clubs & Societies

Edward: Hello everyone, welcome back to the first rendition of the Clubs and Societies Section this year for the Trinity Inquirer Edition 9. My name is Edward Peng and today, we’re interviewing the leader of the Amnesty International Society – Jay Cleland. Let’s go straight into the questions. So, the Amnesty International Society is relatively new, could you tell us what the club is about?

Jay: Well, the club is about raising awareness for human rights problems which can’t be fixed by clubs like Harambee. Harambee can raise money for an issue, Harambee can do things for an issue, but there are a lot of issues where you just can’t do anything. You can’t really do anything about the war in Ukraine, you can’t do anything about Afghanistan, but in the Amnesty International Society, you can raise awareness for it.

Edward: It’s good to hear that you are raising awareness of these issues and attempting to fill in these gaps in the school that haven’t been filled yet. So this intrigues me, what was the vision behind the club?

Jay: So back in 2021, my dad was working in Myanmar and the Myanmar coup d’état and civil war broke out. (Amnesty Presentation) So, I started following human rights around then, obviously, I was following COVID-19 before that. But, I started following more human rights then. Then, last year I moved to Brisbane Boys College and spent the year there. They had this massive Amnesty Club which I joined and was a part of, and that really made me enjoy the club and think about other issues. So, when I came back to Trinity at start this year, I was very keen on setting up a club because Trinity obviously didn’t have a club dealing with these issues.

Edward: Well, it’s amazing to hear that the club is already evolving in the short time it has been set up. Well, I want to know a bit about you, the interviewee, could you tell us a bit about your stance on human rights and what got you so passionate about raising awareness to certain issues?

Jay: Well, I went to Brisbane and heard about all these other issues, which made me very aware of just how little many people know. For example, a person might ask about the youth justice system and they

might say “Oh yeah, that’s pretty bad.” However, if there were royal commissions, it’s all sort of done. But the problem is, it’s not. Just a few months ago in a Queensland Youth Detention Centre, a kid who was just 13 years old was locked in their cell for over 14 days straight, only being let out five times over a 36 day period, and the prosecution wasn’t even looking for any jail time for the person who locked the kid up, the defendant was just released with a verbal reprimand after trial. (Amnesty Presentation)

Edward: Are there any requirements to join the club? How would you join and why should you join?

Jay: The only requirement to join the club is that you’re able to sit down on a Thursday lunchtime and listen to conversations about human rights. I think it’s a great opportunity for everyone who can join to join, because, by definition, we are quite privileged. We go to school. Many people don’t. We also go to a private school which makes us even more privileged, so sometimes we can be sheltered from other events outside of the school. It’s a great opportunity to learn about things outside and also, it can be a great opportunity to develop your speaking skills because you are going to present to other people who are likeminded - they’re thinking about human rights. Also, it doesn’t matter if you show up once a term, once a month or even once a year. Even showing up once a year is a great opportunity because you get to learn about human rights issues.

Edward: Yeah nice. I can’t accentuate more how important it is to be knowledgeable around human rights issues. Jay already talked about many problems in the world and the knowledge you could get from being in this club. So Jay, how could they contact you to join the club?

Jay: They can show up in S22 any lunchtime to join or they can just email me at 635234@trinity.vic.edu.au to join.

Edward: Well, that brings us to the end of the interview. From an outside point of view, you are doing great things for both the club and the school, it has been a pleasure interviewing you and I hope the success of Amnesty International Club continues.

- Edward Peng (Clubs & Societies Editor) & Jay Cleland

ChatGPT and The Rise of AI

On the 30th of November 2022, the AI software known as ‘ChatGPT’ was launched by OpenAI, quickly amassing over a million users in just 5 days and climbing to 100 million active users in the month of January alone.

Whilst the success of ChatGPT may seem sudden and unexpected, it is important to note that ChatGPT itself is not the first artificial intelligence platform of its kind, but is rather part of a larger trend in the development of AI technologies. For decades, researchers and developers have been working tirelessly to create more sophisticated and intelligent machines, with each new breakthrough building on the foundation laid by previous models such as the 1966 chatbot Eliza.

So, why has ChatGPT suddenly become such a viral sensation? Well, ChatGPT’s rapid rise to stardom boils down to two main factors – its unparalleled raw power and its unprecedented accessibility.

ChatGPT has an extraordinary aptitude to produce coherent and highly convincing responses that closely resemble human language to an extent we have never seen before. This proficiency has primarily been achieved through the model’s intricate neural network architecture that utilizes reinforcement learning, allowing it to learn from human feedback and continuously improve its responses. ChatGPT’s ability to harness extensive data sets and advanced computer training techniques makes it a powerful tool for generating highly desirable and contextually relevant responses based on its previous interactions with texts. This, combined with its impressive versatility in implementing its knowledge to a diverse range of applications - from drafting legal briefs, to writing school essays, and even programming in Python – has made ChatGPT stand out unlike any other AI.

Furthermore, ChatGPT’s worldwide accessibility has also contributed to its eye-catching ascension. Unlike any other AI program, ChatGPT is public to anyone through the OpenAI website. This means anyone, from researchers to students can use it. The program itself is also easy to use, only requiring users to type in their desired prompt and wait for the chatbot to reply with its answer. This has put arguably the most powerful AI yet in the hands of the masses like never seen before, leaving us with questions like “is this rise of AI good or bad for society?” as well as “what parts of society will be most affected?”

With ChatGPT being readily available and undoubtedly already being used by many students, one thing is for sure – AI will certainly have a profound impact on the education system as we know it today.

ChatGPT’s powerful abilities have already raised concerns and fears of cheating at school. In Australia, numerous states including Victoria have opted to ban the use of ChatGPT in public schools, blocking access from all state school servers and devices. Private schools too, like Trinity, have shifted away from ‘take-home’ tests and assignments, instead preferring to hold these assessments in person as a way to ‘authenticate’ pieces of work.

However, the seemingly inevitable and perpetual improvement of AI technologies like ChatGPT suggests that we must find a way to work with AI, rather than attempting to completely ban its use.

If ChatGPT can be used in an effective way to enhance learning, we could see a profound change in how the education sector works. Much like the recent shift away from rote learning to more application focused learning, it is highly likely that we could see something similar with the introduction of more proficient AI technologies. One thing AI has undoubtedly done, is shine a light on the time humans waste on useless tasks. Because of this, in order to enhance learning, ChatGPT could be used like the calculator – a tool that enables greater depth of learning. Just like the calculator saves time by performing basic arithmetic calculations and conversions, ChatGPT could be used for tasks like finding quotes and writing summaries – tedious and mundane tasks which take up a great number of human resources, for little yield.

Similarly, AI will also have many implications for the workforce – for better or for worse. With AI’s seemingly infinite upward projection towards perfect automation capability, there is a growing concern about the future and

7

ChatGPT and The Rise of AI

security of jobs. Whilst it seems inevitable that AI will replace some jobs, numerous reports have predicted that AI will also create many more jobs. In a recent ‘Future of Jobs Report’ in 2020, the World Economic Forum estimated that AI will replace approximately 85 million jobs by 2025, but in return, create 97 million jobs. The mechanisation of agriculture from the 1940s to the 1970s, which forced many farmers to migrate to cities in search of factory work is a prime historical example of what the future for the workforce might look like. Whilst the introduction of internal combustion powered tractors and other agricultural technologies decimated millions of jobs in the short term, it eventually resulted in the society we know today, where the majority of the workforce is

employed in the service industry. If the same trend occurs in an ‘AI revolution’, it is likely that will see many jobs like receptionists, accountants and translators become redundant, but jobs like PR managers, teachers, robotics engineers and data scientists thrive.

Beyond the practical implications of AI’s integration into society, there is certainly a discussion to be had regarding the principles of an AI driven society. In an AI dominated world, it is entirely possible that we might see a fundamental and profound decline of human agency and expression. As humans become more and more reliant on AI to make decisions for them, humanity itself will become inherently predictable. Moreover, if AI technology becomes so advanced to the point where machines are able to mimic human speech, movement, and perhaps even thoughts and feelings - where does this leave humanity? If AI powered machines become indistinguishable from humans – what will it mean to be human? Hypothetically, is there a chance that humanity loses its very self? As AI strives towards a future untainted by imperfections and human blemishes, an AI mediated world will lose the very things which make us human.

Ultimately, ChatGPT offers a glimpse into what the future could look like with AI, a striking warning of the potential AI has to both ruin and enhance society as we know it. What remains to be seen is where we want to draw the line between what we want humans to continue to do, and what we want AI to takeover. It is also important to note that the threat of AI is not in the technology itself, but rather, in the people who use it. How humanity chooses to harness the powers of AI will undoubtedly determine what kind of future we move into.

I decided to ask ChatGPT itself if the rise of AI will be good or bad for society:

‘Ambiguous’ is certainly one way to put it, but perhaps it’s perfect. The future with AI is unclear and only time can give us a better idea of what the future holds with AI.

- Ren-Hao Chan

An AI generated picture “Théâtre D’opéra Spatial”, which recently won ‘The Colorado State Fair Art Show’

Challenge Yourself Competitions

Boroondara Literary Awards Young Writer’s Competition

University of Melbourne Micro Mathematicians

The Young Writer’s Competition is a prose and poetry competition for young people who live, work or study in Boroondara. This literary award is run by the Boroondara Council in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Balwyn to celebrate the creativity of writers and poets within the City of Boroondara and nationwide. If you have a passion for writing, this is your opportunity to shine!

More information can be found at https://www. boroondara.vic.gov.au/about-council/awards/ boroondara-literary-awards/enter-boroondara-literaryawards

Entries close Friday 30 June.

The Australian Science Olympiads

Micro Mathematicians is an enrichment program aimed at advanced students in years 5 to 10 who have an interest in mathematics beyond the classroom. The program offers a range of free virtual and in-person workshops throughout the year. Students will take part in a variety of activities across a range of topics designed to promote mathematical investigation at a high level.

More information can be found at https://ms.unimelb. edu.au/engage/outreach/micro-mathematicians?_ nocache

Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad (AIMO)

The Australian Science Olympiads are a staged science enrichment program for science-loving and highly motivated students who want to challenge themselves and explore their scientific potential. The ultimate goal of the Australian Science Olympiads is to select the team to represent Australia at the International Science Olympiads.

Detailed information about the Olympiads and when registrations close can be found at https://www.asi. edu.au/program/australian-science-olympiads/

The AIMO is one of the competitions used to determine which students are selected to a number of invitations only events, including other mathematics competitions, enrichment classes and training schools. It gives talented students an opportunity to be recognised and to participate in activities which will enhance their enjoyment and knowledge of mathematics.

More information can be found at https://www.amt. edu.au/aimo.

Entries close Tuesday 31 August 2023

If you would like to be involved in any of the above competitions, please email Mrs Angela Kotsiras at KotsirasA@trinity.vic.edu.au, to assist you with registration, resources and mentors.

9

Puzzles

Puzzles

With black to move, make the best moves to get to checkmate.

Hint: The medium puzzle is mate in 3, and the hard puzzle is mate in 5.

(Solutions are at the bottom of the page)

Want to Write for the Inquirer?

We’d love this magazine to truly reflect the thoughts and ponderings of the inquiring minds of students across the school, and the depth of intellectual and cultural life here at Trinity. With this in mind, we are keen to accept Op-Eds, letters, freelance pitches/articles or even feature story content suggestions from any and all students. (That means you!)

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, please reach out to us at 615152@trinity.vic.edu.au (Lucas van den Berg) or 614070@trinity.vic.edu.au (Alastair Murphy).

Links and Sources:

Page 6, Amnesty International: https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/europe-and-central-asia/ukraine/report-ukraine/; https://www.hrw.org/asia/ afghanistan; https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-east-asia-and-the-pacific/myanmar/reportmyanmar/; https://mytgs.fireflycloud.net.au/clubs-and-societies/operating-clubs-and-societies/amnesty-international/ speeches/the-myanmar-civil-war; https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-15/qld-youth-crime-human-rights-watch-housedetention/102093378; https://mytgs.fireflycloud.net.au/clubs-and-societies/operating-clubs-and-societies/amnestyinternational/speeches/australian-youth-detention

Image Sources:

Front Cover: https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2022/01/introduction-to-neural-networks/ ; Page 1: https://www. theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/30/an-optimists-guide-to-the-future-the-economist-who-believes-that-human-ingenuitywill-save-the-world; Pages 3&4: All photographs courtesy of Darcy Waugh; Page 5: Photograph from Camberwell Grammar https://www.instagram.com/p/Co_g0g_Mdu4/

Pages 7&8: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/02/technology/ai-artificial-intelligence-artists.html; https://chat.openai. com

Chess Solutions:

Medium: 1. Nc2 2. b6, Bc6 3. Bb5, Ra3#

Hard:

f2 2. Raxf2 (or 2. Rfxf2), Qg2 3. Rxg2, Nh3

Kh1, Rxf1

Rg1. Rxg1#