The Mathematical Case for Monkeys Producing Shakespeare—Eventually

In one of the most bizarre research experiments in the history of mathematics, researchers at the University of Plymouth in England gave six Celebes crested macaques at the nearby Paignton Zoo a keyboard.

From May 1 to June 22, 2002, the animals let off steam by banging at the keys. The letters they typed were transmitted to the Internet. The scientists’ aim was to test the “infinite monkey theorem”: the idea that a monkey typing randomly on a keyboard will, after an infinite amount of time, produce every conceivable text—including the complete works of Shakespeare.

But—surprise, surprise—the primates’ poetry fell short. After more than seven weeks, the macaques produced only one five-page document, consisting almost entirely of the letter “S.” The researchers nonetheless released the result as a book.

In defense of Elmo, Gum, Heather, Holly, Mistletoe and Rowan—the six macaques who participated in this experiment—they did not have an infinite amount of time for their work. Still, the result was sobering. It seems highly questionable that these monkeys would have produced Hamlet or the “Scottish play.”

Although the study in no way disproved the infinite monkey theorem, it showed that monkeys are not necessarily ideal candidates for generating random content in the way the theorem’s creator had assumed.