| name | scienceworld-threshold-evaluator |
| description | Use when the agent has just obtained a numerical measurement (temperature, weight, pH) and must compare it against a predefined threshold to determine a binary outcome. This skill extracts the measured value, evaluates it against the threshold condition (above/below), and executes the corresponding branch action such as classification or placement. |
Skill: scienceworld-threshold-evaluator
Purpose
Compare a measured numerical value against a predefined threshold to determine which of two conditional actions to execute. This is the decision-making step that immediately follows a measurement in ScienceWorld experimental workflows.
When to Use
- Immediately after obtaining a numerical measurement (e.g., temperature reading from a thermometer)
- When the task includes a conditional instruction like "if above X, do A; if below X, do B"
- When classifying or sorting objects based on measured properties
Workflow
- Extract the measurement -- Parse the numerical value from the observation (e.g.,
"the thermometer measures a temperature of 56 degrees celsius" yields 56).
- Identify the threshold and condition -- From the task instruction, determine the threshold value and comparison operator (e.g.,
"above 50.0 degrees" means threshold=50.0, operator=">").
- Evaluate the comparison -- Compare:
measured_value > threshold or measured_value < threshold.
- Execute the correct branch -- Perform the action specified for the satisfied condition.
Examples
Example 1: Temperature-based classification
Task: "Measure the temperature. If above 50.0 degrees, move to the orange box. If below 50.0 degrees, move to the blue box."
> use thermometer on unknown substance B
The thermometer measures a temperature of 56 degrees celsius.
Evaluation: 56 > 50.0 is TRUE, so execute the "above" branch.
> move unknown substance B to orange box
You move the unknown substance B to the orange box.
Example 2: Weight-based sorting
Task: "If the object weighs more than 200 grams, place in the red bin. Otherwise, place in the green bin."
> use scale on rock sample
The scale measures a weight of 145 grams.
Evaluation: 145 > 200 is FALSE, so execute the "otherwise" branch.
> move rock sample to green bin
You move the rock sample to the green bin.
Key Principles
- Immediate execution -- Do not perform other actions between obtaining the measurement and evaluating the threshold.
- Precision -- Use the exact numerical value from the observation; do not estimate or round.
- Binary decision -- The outcome is strictly one of two paths. If the measurement equals the threshold, re-examine the instruction for boundary guidance ("above" typically means
>, not >=).
Common Pitfalls
- Incorrect branching -- Executing the action for the opposite condition (e.g., blue box when value is above threshold).
- Premature evaluation -- Attempting to evaluate before the measurement is complete and valid.
- Action confusion -- Targeting the wrong object in the post-evaluation action.
