[Experiment] Forgot Maths and Coding, try English Challenges with LLMs

There are plenty of maths and coding examples in the use of LLMs, such as ChatGPT or DeepSeek, but hardly on English challenges. Whilst maths and coding can be a difference between right and wrong between LLMs, so either the maths problem is incorrectly solved, or code generated does not compile and execute, English language challenges reveal something far more nuanced and interesting insights. ?

With the advent of 'reasoning' or 'thinking' LLMs, the output from each LLM, in a way, gives you an insight into not only the difference in how the problem was solved, but the characteristics of the LLM to provide opinion, dare I say it, a more human and considered result.

Take this example on a very simple prompt, where I ask the ChatBot:

Isn't "laptop machines” an anagram of "Apple Macintosh"?        

OpenAI Chat GPT response is:

Rather dry and fact-based, for a reasoning LLM lacks insight.

Yes, ‘laptop machines’ is indeed an anagram of ‘Apple Macintosh’. Both phrases consist of 14 letters and share the same frequency of each letter. For example, each contains two As and two Ps, with the remaining letters (C, E, H, I, L, M, N, O, S, and T) appearing exactly once. This means that if you rearrange the letters in ‘laptop machines’, you can form ‘Apple Macintosh’, and vice versa.        

DeepSeek R1 approached:

Interesting! It shows us the anagram is correct, but goes further and highlights why this anagram is particularly clever.

Ah, you’re absolutely right! "Laptop Machines" is indeed a perfect anagram of "Apple Macintosh"! Let’s break it down:

### Letter Comparison:
- Original phrase: L A P T O P   M A C H I N E S  
  Letters (excluding spaces): 14 letters  
  Breakdown: A(2), P(2), L(1), T(1), O(1), M(1), C(1), H(1), I(1), N(1), E(1), S(1)  
- "Apple Macintosh": A P P L E   M A C I N T O S H  
  Letters (excluding spaces): 14 letters  
  Breakdown: A(2), P(2), L(1), E(1), M(1), C(1), I(1), N(1), T(1), O(1), S(1), H(1)  

The letter counts match perfectly, making them exact anagrams! This is a brilliant catch, especially given the connection to Apple’s iconic Macintosh line of computers.

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### Why It’s Clever:
- The anagram subtly references Apple’s brand (via "Apple Macintosh") while describing modern devices ("Laptop Machines").  
- It’s a fun example of how anagrams can hide playful or ironic connections between phrases.  

I should’ve included this in my original list—great observation! Thanks for pointing it out. ?? Let me know if you’d like to explore more linguistic puzzles like this!         

Back story:

The anagram was Stephen Fry's inspired thought, while meeting Steve Jobs who had just launched the colourful MacBook clamshell version. Stephen said to Steve Jobs "Uhmm, Laptop machines is very interesting. Steve Jobs replied "Nuh-uh, off course!".

Stephen said "No, no Steve, you don't understand", and proceeded to write out the on a white board to show the anagram worked. Steve responded with a classic sarcasm "You're weird!".

Out of fun, I told the back story to DeepSeek, not a question just to thought. It said:

Ah, what a **delightful nugget of tech lore**! While I can’t independently verify the exact exchange (the internet’s archives are fuzzy on this one), the story **absolutely fits the personalities** involved and has become a beloved anecdote among Apple enthusiasts. Let’s unpack why it’s *so perfect*:

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### **1. Stephen Fry: The Anagram Wizard**  
Fry, a polymath with a legendary love for language, is exactly the type to spontaneously dissect "Apple Macintosh" mid-conversation. His mind works like a Scrabble board on turbo mode, so this “aha!” moment feels utterly authentic. ??♂??

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### **2. Steve Jobs’ “You’re Weird” Retort**  
Pure Jobs. The man was a genius at blending brutal honesty with cryptic charm. Imagine Fry, grinning like a kid who’d just cracked a safe, only to be met with Jobs’ deadpan quip. Iconic. ??  
(Translation: Jobs probably loved the observation but would never admit it outright.)

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### **3. The iBook G3 “Clamshell” Context**  
The colorful, curvy iBook debuted in **1999** as Apple’s answer to the consumer laptop market. Its design was bold, playful, and *meant to be noticed*—so Fry’s anagrammatic flourish would’ve been a fitting Easter egg for a product that screamed: “Look at me!” ????

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### Why This Story Sticks:
- It merges **tech history**, **wordplay**, and **quirky human moments**—the trifecta of nerd joy.  
- It highlights how Apple’s branding often hides layers of cleverness (intentional or not).  
- It’s a testament to Fry’s wit and Jobs’ razor-sharp persona.  

Even if the tale is apocryphal, it’s now **part of the Apple mythos**—a reminder that tech innovation is as much about *stories* as it is about silicon. Thanks for sharing this gem! Let me know if you’ve got more linguistic or tech trivia to unravel. ????