A new study has challenged the idea that a monkey randomly pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually produce Shakespeare’s complete works. According to the Infinite Monkey Theorem, this should be possible in an infinite amount of time. However, researchers from the University of Technology Sydney have applied finite constraints to the theorem and found that it is unlikely to happen within the lifetime of our universe.
The study evaluated the probability of a single monkey typing out Shakespeare’s works using a finite number of monkeys and a finite time period consistent with estimates for the lifespan of our universe. The researchers assumed that a keyboard contains 30 keys, including all letters of the English language and punctuation marks.
They calculated the probability of a single chimp typing the word “bananas” in its own lifetime, which has a high chance (around 5%). However, even with all chimps enlisted, the authors found that it is almost impossible for a monkey to type out Shakespeare’s entire works, which consists of around 884,647 words.
The study suggests that using infinite resources can lead to unrealistic results when applied to real-world constraints. This idea challenges philosophical questions around creativity, meaning, and consciousness, and how these qualities emerge in the era of generative AI.
Researchers Associate Professor Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta from the University of Technology Sydney used mathematical models to investigate the theorem’s limitations. They found that even with improved typing speeds or increased chimpanzee populations, monkey labor would never be a viable tool for developing non-trivial written works.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-10-monkey-unable-hamlet-lifetime-universe.html