GPT-6-Astra solves 49 of 50 physics research problems at $2.40 apiece
GPT-6-Astra, running in OpenAI's Codex environment without human hints, solved 49 of 50 TheoPhysEval problems across eleven theoretical physics subfields, costing just under $116 overall. Anthropic's Opus 5.5 scored 92 percent, while both models reached 92 percent without internet access. The researchers emphasize that the benchmark tests calculations using known methods, while choosing promising research questions remains a separate challenge for current agents.
Why it matters: The benchmark distinguishes proficiency in concrete physics calculations from the ability to choose fruitful research questions, clarifying which parts of scientific work its high scores actually measure.
