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10/21/2003 10:50:17 PM · #1 |
An interesting site...reminds me of the SETI processor project. My best is 8 characters...
The Monkey Shakespeare Simulator
"If you have enough monkeys
banging randomly on typewriters,
they will eventually type the works
of William Shakespeare."
Become part of the largest ever experiment to see if this is true!
The Monkey Shakespeare Simulator
Message edited by author 2003-10-21 22:51:18. |
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10/21/2003 11:14:35 PM · #2 |
Oh man...as if I didnt waste enough time around the net. I know what i'm running in the background now.
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10/22/2003 03:09:46 AM · #3 |
Great site - I'll be checking my background Monkey page almost as often as I update my DPC stats!
Oh, and the good thing is, you can open the page as many times as you want - increase your chances of getting that elusive 9 character run!
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10/22/2003 03:18:32 AM · #4 |
sh*t. I'll be doing it too. I gotta stop reading the posts =`)
Gives new meaning to the expression flogging the monkey.
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10/22/2003 03:21:31 AM · #5 |
| I'll have to find the reference to the short story where some scientists set up a row of monkeys to actually test the theory ... they become quite disturbed when one monkey starts typing out Hamlet, another some famous novel, and so on .... |
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10/22/2003 08:50:39 AM · #6 |
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10/23/2003 03:54:30 AM · #7 |
I got 9 letters! Woohoo! Have submitted the record, hopefully will be updated soon :)
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10/24/2003 03:39:03 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by sleekr:
I got 9 letters! Woohoo! Have submitted the record, hopefully will be updated soon :) |
Not yet, it isn't.
Maybe I'll beat you anyway...
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10/24/2003 04:31:17 AM · #9 |
I dont think they're keeping it updated....
After all, what are the chances that I start using the site one day, and get the record the next?
Ah well.
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10/24/2003 04:59:37 AM · #10 |
I don't think it's 'genuine' at all - noticed how every match is with the beginning of a play?
Ed
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10/24/2003 05:44:16 AM · #11 |
Im in two minds here about it's genuineness.
Yes, every match is with the beginning of a play - because that's what they search for. Not much use the monkey getting the middle of the play right, if it doesnt get the start of it! So, the page only needs to look for 37 strings, not the thousands (or millions) it would have to look for if it tried to match ANYTHING ANYWHERE.
However, there's only so many random characters that can be checked in a second, and I think this site exceeds that amount.
So, what I think the site does is calculate the CHANCE of matching X letters in a second (based on number of monkeys, etc), and rolls a dice. If your 'roll' is enough to match, say, 6 letters, it picks which play to use, types out the first 6 letters, then types out a random string of characters. After all, look at the random characters after the matching ones - doesnt look like you'd match anything, does it?
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10/24/2003 11:54:36 AM · #12 |
I think its a ploy to get use of everyone's computer to do sinister things... ;)
edited to add: I'm just teasing. :)
Message edited by author 2003-10-24 15:11:36.
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10/24/2003 12:56:47 PM · #13 |
| I went to the sight and while running the simulator, my computer processor was still showing 99% idle. I am not really sure it is doing anything. |
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10/24/2003 01:57:49 PM · #14 |
Some students in our theatre department here at Utah State University are doing a short play in which three monkeys do this, and discuss the ramifications as they do so. It's called "Words" I think. I've seen it before, and it's mighty funny.
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11/16/2003 10:21:31 PM · #15 |
| Well, they've finally updated their records, new record now is 10 letters - that will be hard to beat! |
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11/16/2003 10:27:15 PM · #16 |
Probably about as difficult as before. The # of monkeys is increasing too, remember, so we'll see more characters being typed. It'll be interesting when the number of monkeys really gets way up there.
Originally posted by sleekr:
Well, they've finally updated their records, new record now is 10 letters - that will be hard to beat! |
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11/16/2003 10:34:15 PM · #17 |
come on monkeys, make Darwin proud
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11/17/2003 12:02:37 AM · #18 |
Which means that it now is only a matter of time until some kid hacks the program to set a record.
-alex... with only 7 letters... |
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11/17/2003 12:42:31 AM · #19 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
I'll have to find the reference to the short story where some scientists set up a row of monkeys to actually test the theory ... they become quite disturbed when one monkey starts typing out Hamlet, another some famous novel, and so on .... |
INFLEXIBLE LOGIC by Russell Maloney (1940)
(link to story)
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11/17/2003 02:03:24 AM · #20 |
Originally posted by spiderman:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
I'll have to find the reference to the short story where some scientists set up a row of monkeys to actually test the theory ... they become quite disturbed when one monkey starts typing out Hamlet, another some famous novel, and so on .... |
INFLEXIBLE LOGIC by Russell Maloney (1940)
(link to story) |
That's the one -- thanks! It's not exactly as I remembered it, but darn close. |
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