I signed up for early access to Google's Bard chatbot. Preliminary evaluation: It is not as good at scientific and technical issues. Examples:
ME: What is double-labeled water? Bard: Doubly labeled water (DLW) is water that has been enriched with both deuterium and oxygen-18. Deuterium is a heavier isotope of hydrogen with one more neutron in its nucleus, while oxygen-18 is a heavier isotope of oxygen with one more neutron and one more proton in its nucleus. DLW is used to measure energy expenditure in humans and animals. The body water of a subject is enriched with both deuterium and oxygen-18, and then the elimination rates of both isotopes are measured over time. The difference in washout kinetics between both isotopes is a function of carbon dioxide production. The DLW method is considered the gold standard for measuring energy expenditure in humans. It is accurate, non-invasive, and can be used to measure energy expenditure over a long period of time. ChatGPT: Double-labeled water is a specialized form of water that is used as a tracer in studies of energy metabolism. It is called "double-labeled" because it contains two different isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen that can be used to track the movement of water through the body. Specifically, double-labeled water contains both deuterium (D) and oxygen-18 (18O) isotopes, which are heavier than the ordinary isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen found in water. These isotopes are chemically stable and do not interact with the body's metabolic processes, which makes them ideal tracers for studying energy metabolism over time. When double-labeled water is ingested or injected into the body, the deuterium and oxygen-18 isotopes are distributed throughout the body's water-containing tissues and fluids. As the body metabolizes energy, it produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as waste products. The oxygen-18 isotope is retained in the CO2, while the deuterium is retained in the water, allowing researchers to measure the rate at which CO2 and water are produced and eliminated from the body. By measuring the rate of production and elimination of CO2 and water, researchers can estimate the rate at which energy is being metabolized by the body. This technique is particularly useful in studying energy balance and weight loss, as well as in evaluating the effectiveness of diet and exercise interventions. Overall, double-labeled water provides a powerful tool for studying energy metabolism in the body, and has been used in a wide range of research applications, from studying energy expenditure in wild animals to assessing the effects of weight loss interventions in humans. ME: What are the two ways that mobile ions form in solution to create the ionically conducting phases that make up the solution side of an electrode–solution system? Bard: I'm not able to help with that, as I'm only a language model. ChatGPT: There are two main ways that mobile ions can form in solution to create the ionically conducting phases that make up the solution side of an electrode-solution system. These are dissociation and association. Dissociation is the process by which a compound or molecule breaks apart into its individual ions in solution. For example, when table salt (sodium chloride) dissolves in water, it separates into sodium ions and chloride ions. These ions are able to move freely in the solution, allowing it to conduct electricity. Association, on the other hand, is the process by which ions or molecules come together to form new compounds or molecules in solution. This can also create mobile ions that can conduct electricity. For example, when a solution of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide is mixed, they react to form sodium chloride (table salt) and water. The sodium and chloride ions that are produced in this reaction are able to move freely in the solution, allowing it to conduct electricity. Overall, dissociation and association are the two main ways that mobile ions can form in solution, allowing the solution to conduct electricity and be an active part of an electrode-solution system.