Secret calculator hack brings ChatGPT to the TI-84, enabling easy cheating : technology

[-] DontMakeMoreBabies@lemm.ee 177 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

[removed by mod]

[-] Maestro@fedia.io 81 points 3 weeks ago

Yes, but the kids buying the modded devices may not be

[-] umbrella@lemmy.ml 26 points 3 weeks ago

good. they will learn not to buy their way out of a problem at least.

[-] Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 77 points 3 weeks ago

Back when we were doing quadratic equations; I wrote a program on my TI-84 that would ask which parts of the equation you already had, and would fill in the rest for you.

My teacher liked it so much he bought a transfer cable for those calculators so he could get a copy for himself. Then used to to grade tests.

[-] Khanzarate@lemmy.world 41 points 3 weeks ago

I did the same thing. It was allowed in general, with the correct thought, "if you can code it yourself, you know the content"

I had another "program" that would fail to run but that's because I wrote notes into it. Doubt that was allowed.

[-] SomeoneSomewhere@lemmy.nz 16 points 3 weeks ago

Here in NZ they do a factory reset on your calculator at the start of every exam.

[-] piecat@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Oh I would have been so pissed. I was programming on my calculator 24/7 instead of my classes.

I wrote a sudoku "editor"

I put that in quotes because I had a grid that could be navigated, arrows moved, storing the numbers, had number entry down. And when it was time to implement the solver, I learned the hard way what p vs np is.

[-] sem 6 points 3 weeks ago

They did that here too, but students would use a cheat program that made it look like teachers were resetting it, but really the memory was safe

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] linearchaos@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago

I could never remember the formula to calculate compound interest.

But I had no trouble writing a for loop.

[-] VintageGenious@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

K•(1+r)^n

load more comments (2 replies)

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] TheEighthDoctor@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

I made one to decompose polynomials it was very good because it showed all the steps it was literally just copy what's on the calc to the page

load more comments (4 replies)

[-] roofuskit@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

As someone who was a kid who would do things like this to avoid putting in the work, no this kid will probably not be fine.

[-] turkalino@lemmy.yachts 78 points 3 weeks ago

Ok but calculators are only allowed in math class and if there’s one thing language models suck at, it’s doing basic math. Forget anything at least as complicated as algebra

[-] umami_wasbi@lemmy.ml 22 points 3 weeks ago

Time to build a wolfarm applet

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] OozingPositron@feddit.cl 10 points 3 weeks ago

For me they weren't allowed in Calc I, II, III, Alg I, II and Differential equations. Every other class pretty much required it.

if there’s one thing language models suck at, it’s doing basic math.

If you're using a GPT 3.5 turbo level models, sure. Synthetic data is perfect for teaching LLMs, o1 will be good enough up to Calc III IMO, maybe even better.

The only thing I don't like about this is that it uses a TI, yikes.

[-] jacksilver@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

LLMs do suck at math, if you look into it, the o1 models actually escape the LLM output and write a python function to calculate the output, I've been able to break their math functions by asking for functions that use math not in the standard Python library.

I know someone also wrote a wolfram integration to help solve LLMs math problems.

[-] 0ops@lemm.ee 4 points 3 weeks ago

Wow that's really clever actually. Basically using the library as digital scratch paper

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] skulkingaround@sh.itjust.works 7 points 3 weeks ago

They let us use them for all my college math classes.

They really don't help much at all if you don't understand the math, and if you do understand, you don't need the calculator most of the time.

load more comments (3 replies)

[-] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

TI, yikes.

Yeah, well, TI has spent bucketloads of money bribing textbook publishers to only include instruction for their specific models so they are now the de facto standard in American schools. This is apparently legal.

Anyway, team Casio represent.

load more comments (1 replies)

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] throbbing_banjo@lemmy.world 39 points 3 weeks ago

But can you still play Drug Wars?

[-] happysplinter@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago

Has anyone ever beaten that game? Is it even possible?

[-] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It's possible to get to the last day and have a lot of money, which is your "score." The world leaderboards have some ridiculous highscores on the remake called Dope Wars.

https://stevekola.tripod.com/dopewarsguide/id2.html

That is a strategy guide.

I have never managed to do it.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] Siegfried@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

No one has beaten The Game, but it is possible. We just need to wait for the Pope to declare that it has come to an end

[-] Thomrade@lemm.ee 9 points 3 weeks ago

Oh you fucker, its been over ten years. i just lost The Game.

[-] Alenalda@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

The earliest exponention clicker game I ever discovered. Lost dozens of hours to ti83 drug wars

[-] nutsack@lemmy.world 38 points 3 weeks ago

I used to store formulas in basic programs in my ti84 but they were never useful because I didn't need help memorizig formulas

[-] SandLight@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago

I did the same, but it was helpful because I'm terrible at memorization.

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] Jackcooper@lemmy.world 37 points 3 weeks ago

Wat? Does it have wifi?

[-] Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 59 points 3 weeks ago

They added wifi with a extra circuit board hidden inside the calculator case. It's connected to the calculators communication port, and pretends to be another calculator. So they can use the calculator's built in "send" function to send variables/text/etc to the hidden card, which then uses it's internet connection to look up answers and send the results back.

[-] itsathursday@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Yep

[-] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 33 points 3 weeks ago

"ChatGPT what is the formula for Work Done in an enclosed system expressed as a triple integral?"

"42"

"Ok cool ty."

[-] model_tar_gz@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

Stop giving me Thermo nightmares; I lived through that shit already I don’t need to sleep through it too.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org 16 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, nobody in class is going to suspect the kid with the arduino-type science project mess of wires duct taped to their calculator.

For those too lazy to read, that's how this works. An external micro controller talks to the calc through the IO port, and does the Wifi stuff, acting as a middleman.

Edit: I did not see the video.

[-] Hideakikarate@sh.itjust.works 18 points 3 weeks ago

I saw the video. It closes up nicely and is invisible. It can even re-download the programs if wiped before by the teacher.

[-] TimeSquirrel@kbin.melroy.org 10 points 3 weeks ago

Well, that teaches me to read AND click all links in an article.

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] floofloof@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 weeks ago

For those too lazy to watch the video, the whole thing is eventually concealed within the calculator.

[-] bitwolf@lemmy.one 15 points 3 weeks ago

Not anymore since it's spreading news instead of remaining on YouTube

[-] umami_wasbi@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 weeks ago

I wonder what can counter this except banning it, or provide calculators to students instead of using their own.

[-] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

Its been quite a while since I've taken a proctored exam, but then all the proctors would clear all the memory on your calc before they'd let you use it for test. Is that not the case anymore?

[-] Broken_Monitor@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Depends on the exam. Some don’t even allow programmable calcs because they don’t want to deal with possible shit like this. I have already seen a certification exam where they provide the calculators as well.

[-] umami_wasbi@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

The article said it can be download "on demand" so that might make the clearing pointless.

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago

The launcher program can be downloaded on-demand, avoiding detection if a teacher inspects or clears the calculator's memory

If I understood it correctly, the Wi-Fi module appears as a standard calculator-to-calculator interface, so built-in commands can install the cheat apps at any time.

[-] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 7 points 3 weeks ago

Better than plastic explosives and shrapnel.

load more comments (1 replies)

[-] synapse1278@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Bring your calculator to the Spanish exam. Trust me, this plan is flawless.

[-] spyd3r@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Utilizing the tools available to you to solve problems is not cheating, its resourcefulness, and using your brain. Which is of course frowned upon in schools that exist to churn out mindless drones for corporate enslavement.

[-] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 weeks ago

ChatGPT is famously bad at the things you'd use a calculator for though

load more comments (2 replies)

[-] umami_wasbi@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

What would happen if now plug in another calculator? AFAIK that only a P2P connection and never meant for >2 parties.

Technology

Our Rules

Approved Bots