In a groundbreaking study, two Australian mathematicians have reexamined the famous infinite monkey theorem, concluding that it’s improbable for a monkey to replicate the works of William Shakespeare through random key presses. This adage suggests that given infinite time, a monkey hitting keys randomly might eventually type the Bard's plays and sonnets. However, researchers Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta from Sydney reported that the time required for such an event far exceeds the lifespan of our universe.
Their calculations indicate that even enlisting every chimpanzee on Earth, estimated to be around 200,000, would not yield a coherent reproduction of any Shakespearean text. The researchers noted that the probability of a chimp typing the word "bananas" in its lifetime stands at just 5%. The chance of crafting a random coherent sentence, such as "I chimp, therefore I am," is roughly one in 10 million billion billion.
The study highlights the misleading nature of the infinite monkey theorem, stating that mathematical possibilities do not align with real constraints of time and resources in the universe. The foundation of their calculations rests on the heat death theory, a widely accepted model suggesting the universe will gradually expand and cool until all matter fades away.
Associate Professor Woodcock emphasized that this revelation places the infinite monkey theorem among various other probability puzzles that seem plausible only when infinite resources are considered. In reality, the prospect of monkey labor producing meaningful literature is simply unfeasible.
