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.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I’ve been trying to find out if monkeys throw the same poo more than once. If they didn’t it would make them better than the Democrats.

[mass55th]

But monkeys could report the news far better than the drive-by media ever has.

[dfwgator]

Classic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcRzyZOL_no

[Larry Lucido]

The nose thing falling off reminds me of an episode of trailer Park boys where they are pretended to be the band Rush and the one playing Geddy Lee has a fake nose that falls off

[Larry Lucido]

Ah, here it is.

https://youtu.be/w9mHo6QB-Ao?si=212KZijHqvzBMLv7

[unlearner]

It’s absolutely true.

Every time they set them down to type, out came articles from NYT.

[rlmorel]

LOL!

[Paal Gulli]

"... if given an infinite amount of time, a monkey pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare...."

They screwed up the postulate. It's "an infinite number of monkeys pressing keys on an infinite number of typewriters...."

Not at all the same thing.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL

[Bullish]

And they needed to fund a study to figure this out? Okay, let’s just end all studies right now then.

[SunkenCiv]

AI could do it. I think someone's been prototyping just such a thing for a while now. Artificial intelligence vs Natural Retardation?

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[SunkenCiv]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sZf1mlIqLs

[jmaroneps37]

At last a sensible fact check :-)

[Joe 6-pack]

Yep, Lone Gunmen,like the original X-Files was excellent.

[SunkenCiv]

Frohike always felt an affinity for chimps, no reason. :^)

[muir_redwoods]

As Woody Allen observed, eternity lasts a long time, especially toward the end.

It may take longer than the lifetime of the universe but it is inescapable that eventually those monkeys randomly typing away would reproduce every written work.

[Scrambler Bob]

But they can type Rap.

[Sirius Lee]

It would take monkeys five minutes to randomly type out one of kamunist’s ten minute word salads.

[nickcarraway]

Does it matter if the monkeys have their own pox?

[SunkenCiv]

It’s a BYOP.