The Monkeys and Shakespeare Conundrum.

[tommylaw]

If an immortal monkey was given a typewriter that doesnt wear and has infinite supply of ink and paper, would the monkey (let's says he really likes pressing random keys in typewriters, he likes the noise, it's all he does) produce the works of Shakespeare given infinite time?

I say no, but I find myself in the minority with this view.

 

[Taimat396]

Yes. Besides, Shakespeare was just a monkey when you get down to it.

 

[Revilo]

That just raises Darwin's theory of evolution, and then this just turns into another Creation Vs Evolution thread.
Also, yes but it would take a loooong time, as well as it being irrelevant because there are no immortal monkeys. Yet...

 

[arbites_augmented]

Well, the entire works of Shakespeare, would be very, very unlikely. I don't even think there's a word to describe just how **** the odds are on that.

You'd be a rich man if you bet a penny.

 

[Mage246]

Of course it would be extremely unlikely. The thing is that eternity is a *very very very* long time. It has nothing to do with the capabilities of the monkey or his materials, and everything to do with the concept of infinity. You could place any combination of objects, no matter how improbable, and there's a chance something would happen *eventually*. Maybe someone will give the monkey an intelligence upgrade and a copy of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare in the year 192381999248882129912999101298380980981110928098098091901091.

Of course, the whole scenario is horribly flawed because nothing lasts forever.

 

[Elisianthus]

But we're forgetting the important question: can the monkey make it less crap?

/Uncultured Northerner

 

[Ursca]

If an immortal monkey was given a typewriter that doesnt wear and has infinite supply of ink and paper, would the monkey (let's says he really likes pressing random keys in typewriters, he likes the noise, it's all he does) produce the works of Shakespeare given infinite time?

I say no, but I find myself in the minority with this view.

You are a silly individual.

It's not even a question. There is no debate in this arena. Anyone who understands what the word 'infinite' means would agree that the answer is yes.



Edit: Also this.

 

[Weaver]

If an immortal monkey was given a typewriter that doesnt wear and has infinite supply of ink and paper, would the monkey (let's says he really likes pressing random keys in typewriters, he likes the noise, it's all he does) produce the works of Shakespeare given infinite time?

I say no, but I find myself in the minority with this view.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem

 

[Foxtrot Juliett]

IIRC someone calculated how long it'd take for an hypothetically inmortal monkey to write the first line of Romeo and Juliet, and it was determined to be even longer than the universe has existed.

Given infinite time, infinite chances, right? I'd say yes.

I don't see how this raises Darwin's theory of evolution, though.

(edit)
Henry IV, Part 2 according to Wiki.

 

[Archonsod]

I don't see how this raises Darwin's theory of evolution, though.

The monkey ends up typing a hell of a lot of Mills and Boons  before it gets to Shakespeare ...

 

[Foxtrot Juliett]

I don't see how this raises Darwin's theory of evolution, though.

The monkey ends up typing a hell of a lot of Mills and Boons  before it gets to Shakespeare ...

I imagine he'd start typing some Taleworlds members' posts, way before that, too.

 

[Adorno]

One of many lame attempts to question evolution. (Using infinity in an argument and you know you're speaking to morons)
We're in year 4.5 billion - not eternity.

 

[Selothi]

Of course it would.

 

[Ursca]

One of many lame attempts to question evolution. (Using infinity in an argument and you know you're speaking to morons)
We're in year 4.5 billion - not eternity.

...what?

Edit: Perhaps I should clarify - It's not an argument against evolution. It's nothing to do with evolution. It's a demonstration of the nature of infinity.

 

[Nahkuri]

I've tried to post "silly maths" for like 5 times but you people seem to be quite interested in this subject. Jesus ****ing christ. Think about naked women instead.

 

[FrisianDude]

No. If I were an immortal monkey I would hardly spend all my time on a damned typewriter.

 

[Nahkuri]

Aye. That **** doesn't get thrown all by itself.

 

[Foxtrot Juliett]

Of course it would.

I mean, it'd start with yours, before realizing you're not even worth the random chance, then going off to write tampon TV advertisement.

 

[Adorno]

Darwinistically it has already happened: a monkey tuned into a human - homo sapiens sapiens - and Shakespeare was born, writing his plays. Voilá.

 

[Swadius 2.0]

Of course the monkey will write Shakespeare (among other things). A monkey hitting keys on a type writer for all eternity is practically no different than a computer that systematically goes through every permutation imaginable of the alphabet for every imaginable length.