Monkeys Will Never Type Shakespeare, Study Finds

BBC ^ | 11/2 | Hannah Ritchie

[nickcarraway]

Two Australian mathematicians have called into question an old adage, that if given an infinite amount of time, a monkey pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare.

Known as the "infinite monkey theorem", the thought-experiment has long been used to explain the principles of probability and randomness.

However, a new peer-reviewed study led by Sydney-based researchers Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta has found that the time it would take for a typing monkey to replicate Shakespeare's plays, sonnets and poems would be longer than the lifespan of our universe.

Which means that while mathematically true, the theorem is "misleading", they say.

[Larry Lucido]

I couldn’t type Shakespeare either. For one thing, I can’t ever understand what the heck he was saying.

“When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would these fardels bear,”

Huh??

[j.havenfarm]

What?!? What am I supposed to do with this room full of monkeys? Ive had them working for six years and was hoping we were just about there. They weren’t cheap, you know, and the room stinks something awful

[Sicon]

Apparently, these geniuses don’t understand the concept of “infinite”.

[cgbg]

The Lone Gunman episodes were wonderful—hilarious stuff.

[cgbg]

“Give a monkey a typewriter and it won’t type. It’ll throw it around and pee and poop on it, but it won’t type.”

It is kinda like trying to teach AOC Arabic.

:-)

[FreedomNotSafety]

The time of the universe isn’t known only speculated but even if were known it would only mark time not define it.

The monkey thought experiment is still good.

These idiots just decided to redefine time.

[rlmorel]

[ChessExpert]

“What a bunch of wet noodles. Infinite is, in fact, longer than the lifespan of the universe. This is hair-splitting for clicks. Bah Humbug!”

The set of real numbers is infinite. For every number you give me, I can add 1 and so on without limit. Infinity is a theoretical concept. I think it’s proven useful in mathematics, like the square root of -1.

However, it seems that there is nothing in the universe that is infinite: not atoms, not time, not space. Dealing with reality, nothing is infinite. The claim that monkeys could never type Shakespear may be true.

[rlmorel]

There goes my retirement plan!

[kawhill]

I’ll bet they could type one of Kamala’s speeches and read it better than she can when she needs to go ad hoc.

[A Navy Vet]

"However, it seems that there is nothing in the universe that is infinite: not atoms, not time, not space."

Can you prove that?

[left that other site]

Who made the monkeys?

[frank ballenger]

You are a person of taste.

[noiseman]

While an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters and infinite time might not ever type one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, the mainstream media have proved that a small number of monkeys on a deadline will certainly type utter garbage.

[gundog]

Not deliberately.

[monkeyshine]

They can do Cummings in about 8 minutes.

[gundog]

I don’t think they will either...

I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that nowhere is anyone even testing this hypothesis.

[nickcarraway]

I never heard of that show, but I don't always watch TV.

I watched X Files. because I would be hiking, and accidentally overhear other hikers talking about it.

[gundog]

My #37.

I stand corrected.

[Retrofitted]

It always seemed to me Shakespeare was talking about stuff you didn't want your mom and dad catching you doing. "Huh huh uh uh he said 'bare bodkin'..."

As for this "proof", I know the concept of infinity is difficult, but jeez!