An infinite number of monkeys... Posted May 2003
There is an oft quoted theory about monkeys. Take an infinite number of them... give them typewriters... and eventually they will produce the complete works of William Shakespeare. Of course most consider this a mere thought experiment but others look at it a little differently. Researchers at Plymouth University in England even reported on an experiment (intended more as performance art than a scientific study) done at Paignton Zoo in southwest England using six Sulawesi crested macaques. Relatives of course of TSN's Maggie the Monkey who predicted Anaheim's cup run. So yeah, these monkeys smashed their computer and typed quite a few "S"'s. Nothing that could even be remotely compared to Shakespeare. Big deal.
This live experiment, as the thought experiment, is completely foolish. First of all there's the whole matter of infinity. It's just as incomprehensible a notion as a creator. Both require faith and a certain state of mind. If you understand and accept infinity, you'll see that given an infinite amount of time, anything possible can happen. That is the nature of infinity. That something ordered happened to come about shouldn't come as a surprise. All infinity and probability need is one group of particles to come together in a stable manner. Infinity and probability can then exert their influence on this new stable grouping. Probability says this stable grouping may be built upon, destroyed (infinity then says, but it can be made again,) or stay the same. Infinity says all three happen. And so on... and so on... and so on. At least that's how it could have happened. Many questions are left unanswered (as of yet) because we're only human and have a limited understanding to work with. It's quite likely we're even barking up the wrong tree.
A creator tells infinity, probability, and the monkeys where to stick their typewriters. A creator explains everything in a neat little package. If you understand and accept a creator, you don't have to worry what science thinks. Of course there are scientists and academics who believe in a creator. They have a wealth of evidence to justify their beliefs. They write and sell books and make their money like anyone else on the secular side of academia. A theory as complete and simple and all encompassing like this is hard to dispute as the simplest theory is often the correct one.
So which is it?
If it is as cut and dry as both sides claim there wouldn't be two sides right? Richard Dawkin's rant against the "god-meme" in The Selfish Gene was pure anger. It even made me (a huge Trailer Park Boys fan) blush beet red. And how theists managed to put the onus on disproving god is beyond me. It's conveniently impossible to do.
We may never be able to understand how the universe came to be. Scientists, scholars, theologians and academics throughout history have tried to describe the world we live in and failed miserably. The earth is flat. The sun revolves around the earth. All those used to be considered fact. They were, like our "facts" now, based on what we could observe. We've learned a lot since we thought the earth was flat. What we learned expanded our sphere of knowledge. New tools allowed us to see more. Invariably new "facts" replace old "facts." Why does anyone ever think they know enough to make a definitive statement? The answer to that question is faith. It's what you believe.
Where does this leave our beloved monkeys and their literary aspirations?
An infinite number of monkeys have been given an infinite number of typewriters and already have completed the entire works of William Shakespeare. Actually it was all done by one monkey. His name was William Shakespeare... and I'm pretty sure he believed in a creator. The monkeys love the irony of it all.
This live experiment, as the thought experiment, is completely foolish. First of all there's the whole matter of infinity. It's just as incomprehensible a notion as a creator. Both require faith and a certain state of mind. If you understand and accept infinity, you'll see that given an infinite amount of time, anything possible can happen. That is the nature of infinity. That something ordered happened to come about shouldn't come as a surprise. All infinity and probability need is one group of particles to come together in a stable manner. Infinity and probability can then exert their influence on this new stable grouping. Probability says this stable grouping may be built upon, destroyed (infinity then says, but it can be made again,) or stay the same. Infinity says all three happen. And so on... and so on... and so on. At least that's how it could have happened. Many questions are left unanswered (as of yet) because we're only human and have a limited understanding to work with. It's quite likely we're even barking up the wrong tree.
A creator tells infinity, probability, and the monkeys where to stick their typewriters. A creator explains everything in a neat little package. If you understand and accept a creator, you don't have to worry what science thinks. Of course there are scientists and academics who believe in a creator. They have a wealth of evidence to justify their beliefs. They write and sell books and make their money like anyone else on the secular side of academia. A theory as complete and simple and all encompassing like this is hard to dispute as the simplest theory is often the correct one.
So which is it?
If it is as cut and dry as both sides claim there wouldn't be two sides right? Richard Dawkin's rant against the "god-meme" in The Selfish Gene was pure anger. It even made me (a huge Trailer Park Boys fan) blush beet red. And how theists managed to put the onus on disproving god is beyond me. It's conveniently impossible to do.
We may never be able to understand how the universe came to be. Scientists, scholars, theologians and academics throughout history have tried to describe the world we live in and failed miserably. The earth is flat. The sun revolves around the earth. All those used to be considered fact. They were, like our "facts" now, based on what we could observe. We've learned a lot since we thought the earth was flat. What we learned expanded our sphere of knowledge. New tools allowed us to see more. Invariably new "facts" replace old "facts." Why does anyone ever think they know enough to make a definitive statement? The answer to that question is faith. It's what you believe.
Where does this leave our beloved monkeys and their literary aspirations?
An infinite number of monkeys have been given an infinite number of typewriters and already have completed the entire works of William Shakespeare. Actually it was all done by one monkey. His name was William Shakespeare... and I'm pretty sure he believed in a creator. The monkeys love the irony of it all.
posted by Sober at 02:28
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