How to use AI for Science and Maths: A guide for Students

Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than ever, and people are finding increasingly ingenious ways to use this new tool in all aspects of life, including in their studies. In this article I hope to show you some of the intelligent uses for artificial intelligence when it comes to studying science and mathematics, as well as highlighting some of the current limitations of AI, so that you can make the most of this exciting new tool in your academic arsenal. 

A lot of the uses of AI that I will discuss will also be relevant to subjects other than just science and maths, so I would recommend getting hands on (maybe with a tool like chatGPT from Open AI) and experimenting to see how you can get AI to work for you (after all, science is all about experiments!)

Getting AI to give you what you actually want from it

One general hint for using AI is that you should always try to make your queries and questions as specific as possible. AI text generators do have a tendency to waffle slightly, so making your input precise helps to ensure that the answers you get really are the answers you want. Furthermore, AI will often be able to give you the exact format you want for your output, but only if you tell it to do so. If I want to know about the various stages of mitosis, I can ask chatGPT to “tell me about mitosis” and I get the following output:

“Mitosis is a type of cell division that occurs in eukaryotic cells, during which a single cell divides into two genetically identical daughter cells. This process is essential for growth, repair, and asexual reproduction in organisms.

Mitosis consists of several stages: prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. During prophase, the chromatin in the nucleus condenses into distinct chromosomes, and the nuclear membrane begins to break down. In prometaphase, the spindle fibers, which are made up of microtubules, attach to the chromosomes at the kinetochores, protein structures that form on the centromeres of the chromosomes.

During metaphase, the chromosomes align at the equator of the cell, and the spindle fibers pull on the sister chromatids, causing them to separate during anaphase. The separated chromatids are pulled toward opposite poles of the cell by the spindle fibers. In telophase, the chromosomes reach the poles of the cell, the nuclear envelope reforms around the chromosomes, and the cytoplasm divides, leading to the formation of two genetically identical daughter cells.”

This is great for an overview, however, following my advice above, if I give the much more specific command of “tell me briefly about the stages of mitosis and bullet point the key ideas” I get the following response (including the formatting!)

“Sure, here’s a brief overview of the stages of mitosis and their key features:

1.  Prophase:

–   Chromosomes condense and become visible

–   Spindle fibers begin to form

–   Nuclear membrane begins to break down

2.  Metaphase:

–   Chromosomes align in the middle of the cell

–   Spindle fibers attach to the chromosomes at the kinetochores

3.  Anaphase:

–   Sister chromatids separate and are pulled to opposite poles of the cell by the spindle fibers

–   The cell begins to elongate

4.  Telophase:

–   Chromosomes reach opposite poles of the cell

–   Nuclear envelope reforms around the chromosomes

–   Chromosomes decondense and become less visible

–   Cytokinesis, or cell division, begins with the formation of a cleavage furrow in animal cells or a cell plate in plant cells.”

Follow this advice and hopefully you will be getting the output you need and ensuring the information generated is what you were actually looking for, instead of just semi-related waffle.  

Great uses for AI when studying science and maths

1. Generating questions

One excellent use for language based AI models like chatGPT is to generate questions which you can use to test your knowledge, you can even ask for the answers afterwards to check if you got them right, which makes for great revision. 

“Give me a list of 4 short numbered questions on plant and animal cells for GCSE biology”

“Sure, here are four short numbered questions on plant and animal cells for GCSE biology:

1.  What is the function of the cell wall in plant cells?

2.  Which organelle is responsible for carrying out photosynthesis in plant cells?

3.  What is the function of the mitochondria in animal cells?

4.  How does the structure of a plant cell differ from that of an animal cell?”

“Now give me the answers”

“Sure, here are the answers to the four short numbered questions on plant and animal cells for GCSE biology:

1.  The cell wall in plant cells provides structural support and protection for the cell, helping to maintain its shape and resist mechanical stress.

2.  The chloroplast is responsible for carrying out photosynthesis in plant cells.

3.  The mitochondria in animal cells are responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP through cellular respiration.

4.  Plant cells have several unique structures not found in animal cells, including a cell wall, chloroplasts, and a large central vacuole. Animal cells lack these structures, but they may have other organelles that are not found in plant cells.”

2. Summaries and key points

These kinds of models are excellent at summarising, giving bullet points and providing the key information. You can provide the text you want to summarise, but you can even get the AI to find it for you:

“Summarise the wikipedia page on vectors and give me the key points”

“Sure, here are the key points from the Wikipedia page on vectors:

–   A vector is a mathematical object used to represent a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

–   Vectors can be represented graphically using arrows, with the length of the arrow representing the magnitude and the direction of the arrow representing the direction of the vector.

–   Vectors can be added, subtracted, multiplied by a scalar, and manipulated in various ways using vector algebra.

–   Vectors are used in a wide range of fields, including physics, engineering, computer graphics, and mathematics.

–   In physics, vectors are used to represent quantities such as velocity, force, and acceleration, which have both magnitude and direction.

–   In mathematics, vectors are used in linear algebra and other areas of advanced mathematics.

–   Common vector operations include dot product, cross product, and projection.

–   The properties of vectors include commutativity, associativity, distributivity, and linearity.

–   Vectors can be represented in different coordinate systems, such as Cartesian coordinates, polar coordinates, or spherical coordinates.

–   The concept of a vector has applications in a variety of fields, including navigation, robotics, and computer vision.”

3. Learning pathways

When learning a new subject in science or maths it can be difficult to know where to start (especially if you are self studying) and it can be difficult to know how all the different topics you are studying relate to one another. Although you can’t yet get an AI to make a mind map for you (maybe soon though) it can still help structure your learning. A learning pathway is a logical series of topics to work through to build your understanding of a given subject and AI can make one for you to follow. While not always perfect, these do provide a great starting point.

“Make a learning pathway for studying astronomy topics for a 13 year old”

“Sure, here’s a suggested learning pathway for studying astronomy topics for a 13-year-old:

1.  Start with the basics:

    –   Learn about the different types of celestial bodies, such as stars, planets, and moons.

    –   Learn about the solar system and the planets within it.

    –   Learn about the different types of galaxies and their characteristics.

2.  Move on to more advanced topics:

    –   Learn about the history of astronomy, including the contributions of ancient astronomers.

    –   Learn about the tools and techniques used in astronomy, such as telescopes and spectroscopy.

    –   Learn about the lifecycle of stars and how they form.

    –   Learn about the different types of black holes and their properties.

    –   Learn about the search for extraterrestrial life.

3.  Engage in hands-on activities:

    –   Use a telescope to observe the night sky.

    –   Attend stargazing events or visit an observatory.

    –   Create models of the solar system or galaxies.

    –   Conduct experiments to understand concepts such as gravity and light.

4.  Supplement learning with multimedia resources:

    –   Watch videos or documentaries about astronomy.

    –   Play interactive games or simulations to understand astronomical concepts.

    –   Read books or articles written for young audiences about astronomy.

5.  Join a community of astronomy enthusiasts:

    –   Join a local astronomy club or online forum to connect with others who share an interest in astronomy.

    –   Attend lectures or talks given by astronomers or science educators.

Remember, the key to learning astronomy (or any subject) is to be curious and ask questions. Good luck on your learning journey!”

“What school topics are related to astronomy?”

“There are several school topics related to astronomy, including:

1.  Physics: Astronomy involves the study of celestial bodies, their movements, and the laws of physics that govern them. Therefore, physics concepts like motion, gravity, and energy are essential to understanding astronomy.

2.  Mathematics: Astronomy requires a lot of mathematical calculations, such as calculating distances between celestial objects, determining the size of planets and stars, and predicting eclipses.

3.  Earth Science: Astronomy is closely related to Earth science, as it involves studying the Earth’s place in the universe, the atmosphere, and the impact of celestial bodies on the planet.

4.  Chemistry: Astronomy also involves the study of the chemical makeup of celestial bodies, including stars and planets.

5.  History: The history of astronomy is rich and fascinating, and understanding the historical context of astronomical discoveries can provide valuable insights into the development of scientific thought.

6.  Technology: The development of technology has greatly advanced the study of astronomy, and studying the technology used in astronomy can help students understand the role of technology in scientific advancement.”

4. Revision schedules

“I have a test on GCSE chemistry next Friday! Make me a realistic revision schedule”

“Sure! Here is a realistic revision schedule you could follow:

Monday:

–   30 minutes reviewing the periodic table and trends

–   30 minutes reviewing ionic and covalent bonding

–   30 minutes reviewing states of matter and intermolecular forces

Tuesday:

–   30 minutes reviewing chemical equations and balancing

–   30 minutes reviewing acids, bases, and pH

–   30 minutes reviewing oxidation and reduction

Wednesday:

–   30 minutes reviewing rates of reaction

–   30 minutes reviewing energy changes and exothermic/endothermic reactions

–   30 minutes reviewing electrolysis

Thursday:

–   30 minutes reviewing organic chemistry

–   30 minutes reviewing atmosphere and air pollution

–   30 minutes reviewing the extraction of metals

Friday:

–   1 hour taking a practice test

–   30 minutes reviewing any areas that you struggled with during the practice test

Remember to take regular breaks throughout the day, stay hydrated, and get plenty of rest. Also, make sure to give yourself enough time to complete the practice test and review any areas that you struggled with. Good luck on your test!”

5. Educational tools and adaptive learning systems

AI-aided educational tools such as Khan Academy, Tassomai, Seneca, Socratic and Quizlet are becoming increasingly popular and can be helpful when studying science and maths. These can be used to give you a personalised learning experience, like tailored test questions, and they can then provide feedback so that you can monitor your own progress. Some of these kinds of AI apps and tools can even give you advice on how best to tackle a given problem or subject area when you make mistakes in a particular area. 

Although AI can certainly be of help in all the ways described above (and many others!) it isn’t all smooth sailing, AI has its fair share of quirks and limitations and might not always be the most helpful tool for the job.

Limitations of using AI as a tool to help you study science and maths

1. AI models aren’t so good at doing maths (yet)

Most AI models that are free to use (like chat GPT) are language models. This means they have been trained using huge amounts of writing, but not really much mathematics and not too many symbols. As such they struggle with mathematical equations and sometimes get even basic calculations wrong. They definitely aren’t meant to replace calculators!

2. AI might give you irrelevant information 

Sometimes AI gives information that isn’t wrong, but just isn’t relevant or helpful. If I ask a question about eukaryotic cells for GCSE Biology, it will give me way too much information, sometimes including A level (or even degree level!) information, which can just make it very confusing. It definitely helps to say that you want content of a certain level, but you may want to double check that what it tells you really is relevant for your level and exam board. 

3. Factual accuracy can sometimes be an issue

 Even worse, sometimes the information AI gives is just wrong. Always be cautious and critical of the answers you get from AI and use lots of other reliable sources (textbooks, trusted websites, teachers, tutors!) when you are studying something new, to make sure you haven’t accidentally fallen for something false. This is especially true if you are studying a very niche or new topic, as the language models usually won’t have too many high quality sources to draw on for their answers, so you are more likely to get biased or false information. 

4. They lack completely up to date information

Related to the previous point, AI models are trained on data which only goes up to a certain date, meaning any new discoveries and developments that happen after that date are completely unknown to the AI. If you want to keep up to date with the fast moving world of cutting edge science, you would be better off looking elsewhere. According to chatGPT

“My knowledge cutoff date is September 2021, which means that my model was trained on a large dataset of text up until that point.”

Advances to come

AI is a very quickly developing field and it is constantly being improved, I hope that this article has given you lots of ideas for how to make the most of it as it is now, but I would also recommend keeping an eye out for any new developments as there is sure to be more to come than we can currently imagine. I have heard that new chat models will soon be able to give pictures as outputs, so not only can you ask for the stages of mitosis but also fully annotated diagrams (something I remember my biology teacher once asking me to do as homework!)

I asked chat GPT for a catchy final sentence for this article:

“By harnessing the power of AI, we can unlock new frontiers of knowledge in science and mathematics, and make learning these subjects an even more exciting journey.”

I didn’t feel this had quite the tone I was looking for, I wanted something a little more lighthearted, so I asked “give me something cheesier” to which it replied:

“Using AI to study science and math is like adding a dollop of creamy, melted cheese to your favorite dish – it makes everything better and leaves you wanting more!”

Not quite what I had in mind, so hopefully my job is safe for at least a little while longer!