What was his plan O_O

[Dalek-K]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0389.html

In the last panel we see Elan and Thog, who has finished step 3 of Elan's plan, well we assume it is Elan's plan... with how smart Thog really is it could have been his plan... he picked up on Nale's complicated planning...

However adding in the corkscrew from earlier... and the skies, basketball, soap, and everything else... What could this master plan be?

You know how they say a 1,000 monkeys writing for a 1,000 years will eventually create works of Shakespeare? Yeah I think this plan would be of that epic level...

[Atcote]

It's more like two monkeys working at two type-writers, after having eaten the paper.

The effort is adorable, but ultimately fruitless.

[Kish]

You know how they say a 1,000 monkeys writing for a 1,000 years will eventually create works of Shakespeare?
You realize that's not actually true.

[Swordpriest]

I think that's best left as an amusing mystery. Especially since I'm sure that literally only Elan could come up with it. :smallwink:

[ORione]

You realize that's not actually true.

Sure it is. There would be mostly extra letters and stuff in between them, but once you edit them out, you get Shakespeare.

Anyway, there is a miniscule but nonzero chance that the monkeys actually will write Shakespeare. Given enough time, all possibilities would come forth. Unless the monkeys died first. :smallfrown:

[Draconi Redfir]

i think the monkey thing is basically that by mere chance each monkey will at some point make an actual word by mashing their keys, and if you remove all these actual words from the papers and sort through them, you could recreate one of shakespears plays.

As for Elans plan... i don't think we are supposed / want to know....

[MoonCat]

It's like a future Noodle Incident. We'll never know, but we know it would have been wacky. It's funny because of all the Noodle Implements we see piled around them.

[NerfTW]

i think the monkey thing is basically that by mere chance each monkey will at some point make an actual word by mashing their keys, and if you remove all these actual words from the papers and sort through them, you could recreate one of shakespears plays.


First, the saying is (usually) this:


An infinite number of monkeys, banging on an infinite number of typewriters, given infinite time, will eventually write the complete works of Shakespeare.

I paraphrased, and the normal saying is one monkey with infinite time, but note the key word here is "infinite". There's no "I think they mean take out the extra letters". It's a way of explaining random chance. In a large enough sample, you can find meaning in chaos. There's an infinitesimal chance that dropping the pieces of a vase on the ground will cause it to reform into a cracked vase shape.

Like how with enough newspapers published every day, you might find one or two with phrases running down the left side of the page using the first letter of every word.

Or if you look at enough phone numbers, you'll find some where the number 7 in the fourth position belong to a person who won the lottery.


It's not too hard to look up the original quote, we're on the internet. There's no need to guess what it might mean when we have Wikipedia: Infinite Monkey Theorem. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem)


(Note: The thousand monkeys thing comes from the Simpsons. Which might be why most people mis remember it)

[Roberto]

The monkey thing only works if you have infinite monkeys or an infinite time period, then by the very definition of infinity you'll have every book, story, screenplay ever written or ever will be written using the letter available on the typewriters.

Edit: Bah humbug

[Dalek-K]

The phrasing doesn't really matter the point stands.I'm just wondering what the plan could have been and which came up with it...

Also would Thog have told Nale about it and it be used against Elan at some point?

[Giggling Ghast]

"It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times?!" :smallfurious:

[QDI]

The monkey thing only works if you have infinite monkeys or an infinite time period, then by the very definition of infinity you'll have every book, story, screenplay ever written or ever will be written using the letter available on the typewriters.

Edit: Bah humbug

The beauty of this result is that you don't need an infinite time.

One Monkey, given enough time, will type the complete works of Shakespeare without any mistake.

This time will be very, very, very long. But it is finite.

[Ceryan]

The beauty of this result is that you don't need an infinite time.

One Monkey, given enough time, will type the complete works of Shakespeare without any mistake.

This time will be very, very, very long. But it is finite.

In other words, the statement could be simplified to: One monkey given one typewriter, if allowed enough time, will write the complete works of Shakespeare.

[ORione]

In other words, the statement could be simplified to: One monkey given one typewriter, if allowed enough time, will write the complete works of Shakespeare.

Unless it died first.

[Squirrel_Token]

Unless it died first.

Hence "if allowed enough time" :smalltongue:

[Tannhaeuser]

I've never bought the "Infinite Monkey" theory simply because it silently smuggles in a complicating factor: the idea of necessary variation. If the monkey has to vary the keys it strikes, it is possible that it will, longaevally, eventually produce the Works of Shakespeare, along with every other possible permutation of letters. However, what if our putative immortal monkey chose to spend his immortality conitually striking the letter "e" without change? In such a case, the Works would never be produced, no matter how long the monkey typed. There has to be some agency that introduces variation into the typing, and indeed, that bans repetitions of previous patterns. I have never yet heard of any theory that satisfyingly explained why there should be exactly the kind of variations needed to produce anything approaching such a complicated creation (without, of course, the addition of a guiding intellect).

Oh, and the master plan is that their side will win. Elegant in its simplicity!

[doodthedud]

It's more like two monkeys working at two type-writers, after having eaten the paper.

The effort is adorable, but ultimately fruitless.

This is an amazing description.

[JSSheridan]

You realize that's not actually true.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's how it actually happened.

The race survived so long and were so prolific that eventually they wrote the works of William Shakespeare.

And came up with General Relativity.

And walked on the moon.

And are still going.

[Kish]

Apes are not monkeys.

[Roberto]

I've never bought the "Infinite Monkey" theory simply because it silently smuggles in a complicating factor: the idea of necessary variation. If the monkey has to vary the keys it strikes, it is possible that it will, longaevally, eventually produce the Works of Shakespeare, along with every other possible permutation of letters. However, what if our putative immortal monkey chose to spend his immortality conitually striking the letter "e" without change? In such a case, the Works would never be produced, no matter how long the monkey typed. There has to be some agency that introduces variation into the typing, and indeed, that bans repetitions of previous patterns. I have never yet heard of any theory that satisfyingly explained why there should be exactly the kind of variations needed to produce anything approaching such a complicated creation (without, of course, the addition of a guiding intellect).

Oh, and the master plan is that their side will win. Elegant in its simplicity!

The monkeys do it randomly, its kinda the whole point. The monkey is just a metaphor for using letters completely at random.

[Dalek-K]

And human aren't apes.

Common ancestor maybe

*sigh* even Darwin said "I think"

[Dalek-K]

refering to the apes are not monkies.

also get a sense of humor.

oh and can someone lock this thread? who do i even message about that?

[Gift Jeraff]

One thing I find interesting about Elan's plan is that it shows that Elan, too, inherited his mother's love for needlessly complicated plans.
And human aren't apes.
Taxonomically speaking, yes, we are. :smalltongue:

[Kish]

refering to the apes are not monkies.

also get a sense of humor.
Ook ook ook. :smallannoyed:

[FujinAkari]

"There was once a popular adage about a thousand monkeys using a thousand typewriters eventually reproducing the works of William Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the internet, we know this to be false." -Robert Wilensky

[NerfTW]

The phrasing doesn't really matter the point stands.I'm just wondering what the plan could have been and which came up with it...


Notice the poster I was quoting. It wasn't you, therefore I wasn't saying anything about your point. I was correcting the "I think it means this" person I quoted.

[Psyren]

Ook ook ook. :smallannoyed:

...so tempted to sig that from you :smalltongue:

[Tannhaeuser]

The monkeys do it randomly; it's kinda the whole point. The monkey is just a metaphor for using letters completely at random.

The point is that the whole theory is tosh.

[felinoel]

Sure it is. There would be mostly extra letters and stuff in between them, but once you edit them out, you get Shakespeare.

Anyway, there is a miniscule but nonzero chance that the monkeys actually will write Shakespeare. Given enough time, all possibilities would come forth. Unless the monkeys died first. :smallfrown:I always assumed the monkeys were immortal though?

[SSGoW]

I always assumed the monkeys were immortal though?

Celestial Monkeys are :D

[CaptainIreland]

The point is that the whole theory is tosh.

No, the theory is true.

The same way the odds of shuffling a deck of cards (in a perfectly random shuffle) into their original factory order is the exact same odds as getting any particular other random shuffle.

Randomly striking keys will eventually create what looks like a preplanned order.

It might be impractical, but it's mathematically true.

[veti]

I paraphrased, and the normal saying is one monkey with infinite time, but note the key word here is "infinite".

With thanks to the great Lore Sjoberg (http://twitter.com/#!/loresjoberg): a partial list of things that the monkeys will, statistically speaking, come up with before they complete 'Hamlet':

Several perfect cryptograms of Hamlet.
A long forum argument over V's alignment and gender, arriving at a conclusive answer and ending in general agreement.
The text of Hamlet, except everyone dies of food poisoning in Act II.
A brief but accurate write-up of the most embarrassing thing you ever
did, with full names, dates, and places.
A short story entitled "Babysitter's Passion."
"Iii#jd89 pp98&(*(^9 879j; FF"
The text of Hamlet, except that Horatio is named "Elvis."

[CaptainPlatypus]

a partial list of things that the monkeys will, statistically speaking, come up with before they complete that would be way funnier than 'Hamlet':

Several perfect cryptograms of Hamlet.
A long forum argument over V's alignment and gender, arriving at a conclusive answer and ending in general agreement.
The text of Hamlet, except everyone dies of food poisoning in Act II.
A brief but accurate write-up of the most embarrassing thing you ever
did, with full names, dates, and places.
A short story entitled "Babysitter's Passion."
"Iii#jd89 pp98&(*(^9 879j; FF"
The text of Hamlet, except that Horatio is named "Elvis."


Fixed that for you.

[ORione]

This thread is making me laugh so hard. Here on the internet, we argue about the silliest things.

[Lecan]

"It was the best of times, it was the BLURST of times?!" :smallfurious:

Your joke still stands, but I couldn't let this pass without saying 'A Tale of Two Cities' (where the reference is from) is by Dickens, not Shakespeare.

[Conuly]

Sure it is. There would be mostly extra letters and stuff in between them, but once you edit them out, you get Shakespeare.

No, it's not, because monkeys don't type randomly. You'd get a lot of the same stuff you get from a five year old, repeated strings of kjjkjkjkjkjkkkkjjjjkjkjdjdjdjdjdjdjd or aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, not the sort of randomness that occasionally gives you a word or phrase such as "the" "completed" or "works of Shakespeare", much less the actual completed works of Shakespeare!

[Kish]

No, it's not, because monkeys don't type randomly. You'd get a lot of the same stuff you get from a five year old, repeated strings of kjjkjkjkjkjkkkkjjjjkjkjdjdjdjdjdjdjd or aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, not the sort of randomness that occasionally gives you a word or phrase such as "the" "completed" or "works of Shakespeare", much less the actual completed works of Shakespeare!
Actually, you'd probably just get a broken typewriter.

Failing that, you'd certainly get very bored monkeys well before a thousand years had passed.

[CaptainIreland]

No, it's not, because monkeys don't type randomly.

Sigh.

For the last time, the monkeys are a METAPHOR.

[Murphy80]

Wait...what did this thread start with again and why are you talking about monkeys and typewriters and Hamlet? There's that headache again...I think I'll go lie down.

[Caractacus]

Sigh.

For the last time, the monkeys are a METAPHOR.

There was this female monkey I was pointlessly introduced to once - I have no idea what I met her for... :smalltongue:

[Kish]

Wait...what did this thread start with again and why are you talking about monkeys and typewriters and Hamlet? There's that headache again...I think I'll go lie down.
You see, if Shakespeare had typed on a typewriter for a thousand years, he would have produced a story about monkeys. But alas, there were no typewriters in his time, and so his stories feature the occasional bear but no monkeys.

[CaptainIreland]

Wait...what did this thread start with again and why are you talking about monkeys and typewriters and Hamlet? There's that headache again...I think I'll go lie down.

I dunno...people keep talking about it incorrectly anyway. But even if they don't know anything it, they keep bringing it up.

Have fun with your nap.

[Harr]

I've never bought the "Infinite Monkey" theory simply because it silently smuggles in a complicating factor: the idea of necessary variation. If the monkey has to vary the keys it strikes, it is possible that it will, longaevally, eventually produce the Works of Shakespeare, along with every other possible permutation of letters. However, what if our putative immortal monkey chose to spend his immortality conitually striking the letter "e" without change?

...the Twilight Saga?

[martianmister]

Back to the topic:


http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0389.html

In the last panel we see Elan and Thog, who has finished step 3 of Elan's plan, well we assume it is Elan's plan... with how smart Thog really is it could have been his plan... he picked up on Nale's complicated planning...

However adding in the corkscrew from earlier... and the skies, basketball, soap, and everything else... What could this master plan be?

I think Elan's plan is making something "valuable" with these equipment and:

a) Sold them in exchange for money.

b) Swap them in return for an airship.

[CaptainPlatypus]

Back to the topic:



I think Elan's plan is making something "valuable" with these equipment and:

a) Sold them in exchange for money.

b) Swap them in return for an airship.

It struck me as more of a combination between the Fruit Pie the Sorcerer gag and the Trojan Horse.

[felinoel]

Your joke still stands, but I couldn't let this pass without saying 'A Tale of Two Cities' (where the reference is from) is by Dickens, not Shakespeare.I applaud you sir

Wait...what did this thread start with again and why are you talking about monkeys and typewriters and Hamlet? There's that headache again...I think I'll go lie down.Someone wanting what the guy above me posted

[Kelvin360]

Given that we started with Elan and Thog, and ended with monkeys, we can devise a new rule:

More than 10 people, given 1 page of a thread and the internet, WILL derail it eventually. :smallconfused:

[ORione]

Given that we started with Elan and Thog, and ended with monkeys, we can devise a new rule:

More than 10 people, given 1 page of a thread and the internet, WILL derail it eventually. :smallconfused:

Well, it's not that much of a stretch...
*ducks Thog and Elan fans*

[felinoel]

Given that we started with Elan and Thog, and ended with monkeys, we can devise a new rule:

More than 10 people, given 1 page of a thread and the internet, WILL derail it eventually. :smallconfused:

Hey... it got answered eventually...

[Alagaesian]

One thing I find interesting about Elan's plan is that it shows that Elan, too, inherited his mother's love for needlessly complicated plans.
Just as Nale has some amount of genre-savviness in here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0383.html) and here. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html)

[Dalek-K]

It struck me as more of a combination between the Fruit Pie the Sorcerer gag and the Trojan Horse.

Trojan horse I know... But Fruit Pie the Sorcerer gag?

[martianmister]

Trojan horse I know... But Fruit Pie the Sorcerer gag?

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0091.html