Researchers test whether an LLM trained exclusively on pre-1900 texts can independently discover quantum mechanics and relativity theories.

An experiment called 'Machina Mirabilis' trains a language model using only historical texts published before 1900

The goal is to determine if the model can autonomously derive major 20th-century physics breakthroughs without exposure to modern scientific knowledge

This tests whether foundational mathematical and logical patterns in pre-modern texts contain sufficient information to generate breakthrough physics theories

The experiment explores the relationship between historical knowledge accumulation and the emergence of revolutionary scientific ideas