Can LLMs Uncover Hidden Physical Laws through Free Exploration?
LongChang tests whether models can discover altered physics through unguided exploration; 1 of 12 models found any law, and its findings were partial.
LongChang creates simulated worlds with altered physical laws and lets models explore without hints or assigned research tasks. **GPT-6-Astra found a law in 16.7% of cases**; the **other 11 models scored 0%**.
For builders evaluating autonomous agents, this setup probes whether agents can notice anomalies, form questions, and investigate without a predefined task. The framework also uses separate agents to review scenes, tools, and reports.
LongChang creates simulated worlds with altered physical laws and lets models explore without hints or assigned research tasks. **GPT-6-Astra found a law in 16.7% of cases**; the **other 11 models scored 0%**. For builders evaluating autonomous agents, this setup probes whether agents can notice anomalies, form questions, and investigate without a predefined task. The framework also uses separate agents to review scenes, tools, and reports. The exploration records showed uninvestigated anomalies and only partial identification of altered laws, so discovery remained limited even for the top-scoring model.
This benchmark tests whether agents can discover physical laws without assigned research tasks or hints, extending agent evaluation to open-ended exploration. The low discovery rates and uninvestigated anomalies show that success at autonomous research remains limited even when exploration is possible.