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By GeertLovink, Section question corner
Posted on Sun Jun 1st, 2003 at 12:47:41 AM EURODISCORDIA TIME
Monkeys-s-s Typing Is-s a Mess-s-s





LONDON, May 9 -- Give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters, the theory goes, and they will eventually produce the complete works of Shakespeare.

 

[ --------------------------------------------- ]






Give six monkeys one computer for a month, and they will make a mess.





Researchers at Plymouth University in England reported this week that monkeys left alone with a computer failed to produce a single word.





''They pressed a lot of S's,'' said Mike Phillips, a researcher in the project which was paid for by the Arts Council.





The researchers left a computer in the monkey enclosure at Paignton Zoo in southwest England, home to six Sulawesi crested macaques. Then, they waited.





Eventually, the monkeys produced only five pages of text, primarily filled with the letter S. At the end, a few A's, J's, L's and M's were struck.





''Another thing they were interested in was in defecating and urinating all over the keyboard,'' Mr. Phillips added.


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[new] i heard it differently... (Avg. Score: 2.00 / Raters: 1) (#3)
by petertraub on Sun Jun 1st, 2003 at 08:58:11 PM EURODISCORDIA TIME
(User Info)

i recently heard this one: researchers, in attempting to test the infinite monkeys writing shakespeare theory, put 5 monkeys in a room with a computer. in three hours they wrote windows :-P



#!/usr/bin/peter -w




 
[new] Propensed to type on the middle of the middle row? (Avg. Score: none / Raters: 0) (#2)
by RobRay on Sun Jun 1st, 2003 at 12:58:57 AM EURODISCORDIA TIME
(User Info)

Looks like they learned more than I did in there typing class. I learned it probably wouldn't be a good idea to stay friends with this metalhead girl Brooke Moore I had a crush on as I learned she was "playing raquetball" with just about everybody I knew (and I lot I didn't). I later learned that it's probably important to be there for people though no matter how much "raquetball" they're playing - as I remember one day she left a message on my answering machine and I never called her back as I was to freaked she called me. She killed herself about a month later.

Back to the topic....

It would be interesting to know if the monkeys were actually propensed to type in the middle row of the keyboard or if it was chance.

Good to see they're as interested in defecating and urinating all over the keyboard as I am.


rob




 
[new] ah, yes...monkeys (Avg. Score: none / Raters: 0) (#1)
by RobbyZar (keats@fastermail.com) on Sat May 31st, 2003 at 02:37:49 PM EURODISCORDIA TIME
(User Info)

Well I just found out about this site, and below will be my first comment. I will say first that I think this whole project is a great idea, and I am excited to see how it develops.

I read this a few weeks ago and fell off my chair. My first comment would be to credit the paper where it came from - I can't remember where I found it...I think it was Yahoo Strange News.

It is good to know that if you give high-tech equipment to a bunch of monkeys they will still insist upon urinating on it, as if it were dirt or the concrete floor of a cage. Maybe they are trying to tell us something about the world today?

-----------------------------------------------
"There are no commandments, because there is no commander anywhere."


  • yeh by Anonymous Stranger, 07/21/2003 10:40:01 PM EURODISCORDIA TIME (none / 0)
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