Comments on: Shakespeare 1, Monkeys 0 http://deanesmay.com/2009/12/05/shakespeare-1-monkeys-0/ Defending the liberal tradition in history, science, and philosophy. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:24:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Martin L. Shoemaker http://deanesmay.com/2009/12/05/shakespeare-1-monkeys-0/#comment-180146 Martin L. Shoemaker Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:01:38 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/?p=18067#comment-180146 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem" rel="nofollow">It's infinite monkeys.</a> And if you have any real understanding of infinity, it's self-evidently true. The proof is mathematical, not experimental. Any attempt to "prove" it experimentally is doomed to failure, unless your budget is infinite dollars, your number of subjects is infinite monkeys, and the length of your study is infinite days. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem#Real_monkeys" rel="nofollow">The University of Plymouth blew 2,000 pounds.</a> All that they really learned is that MediaLab Arts students, the Arts Council, and the zoo's scientific officer need to learn more math. It’s infinite monkeys. And if you have any real understanding of infinity, it’s self-evidently true. The proof is mathematical, not experimental. Any attempt to “prove” it experimentally is doomed to failure, unless your budget is infinite dollars, your number of subjects is infinite monkeys, and the length of your study is infinite days. The University of Plymouth blew 2,000 pounds. All that they really learned is that MediaLab Arts students, the Arts Council, and the zoo’s scientific officer need to learn more math.

]]> By: Jay Dean http://deanesmay.com/2009/12/05/shakespeare-1-monkeys-0/#comment-180144 Jay Dean Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:38:39 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/?p=18067#comment-180144 I wonder if the phrasing is regional? I've lived in Northern California all my life, and I've always remembered it as "If an infinite number of monkeys sat at an infinite number of typewriters . . ." I don't think I ever heard it using "a million monkeys." Or perhaps it's generational? I'm not sure of your age, but I just turned 40 this year. God help me. I wonder if the phrasing is regional? I’ve lived in Northern California all my life, and I’ve always remembered it as “If an infinite number of monkeys sat at an infinite number of typewriters . . .” I don’t think I ever heard it using “a million monkeys.”

Or perhaps it’s generational? I’m not sure of your age, but I just turned 40 this year. God help me.

]]> By: Dean Esmay http://deanesmay.com/2009/12/05/shakespeare-1-monkeys-0/#comment-180140 Dean Esmay Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:05:05 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/?p=18067#comment-180140 What fascinates me about the "million monkeys" thing is that I really think that in the original formulation, the word "million" is used loosely to mean "an unimaginably and absurdly high number." I think if it was "an infinite number of monkeys," no one would bother arguing with it, y'know? I never thought the phrase literally meant 1,000,000,000 monkeys precisely. That said, the exercise is still worth doing. ;-) What fascinates me about the “million monkeys” thing is that I really think that in the original formulation, the word “million” is used loosely to mean “an unimaginably and absurdly high number.” I think if it was “an infinite number of monkeys,” no one would bother arguing with it, y’know? I never thought the phrase literally meant 1,000,000,000 monkeys precisely.

That said, the exercise is still worth doing. ;-)

]]> By: M. Scott Eiland http://deanesmay.com/2009/12/05/shakespeare-1-monkeys-0/#comment-180133 M. Scott Eiland Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:37:15 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/?p=18067#comment-180133 Bob Newhart had a short monologue once about the infinite monkeys hypothetical, with Newhart playing the role of one of the many workers assigned to see what the monkeys were producing. After a few comments to the effect that he didn't think some of the monkeys would ever produce anything, he apparently struck paydirt: "Hey, get over here--I think this is famous or something!" [pauses, then begins to read] "To be, or not to be--that is the gzortnplatt." [Audience laughs, routine ends] Bob Newhart had a short monologue once about the infinite monkeys hypothetical, with Newhart playing the role of one of the many workers assigned to see what the monkeys were producing. After a few comments to the effect that he didn’t think some of the monkeys would ever produce anything, he apparently struck paydirt: “Hey, get over here–I think this is famous or something!”

[pauses, then begins to read]

“To be, or not to be–that is the gzortnplatt.”

[Audience laughs, routine ends]

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