Click here for the Wikipedia entry on Infinite Monkeys

Click here for the mathematics of Infinite Monkeys

Further Reflections on Infinite Monkeys

What do Infinite Monkeys sound like? Sure, you've heard the sound of one hand clapping--but what is the other hand doing? Could it be counting monkeys? Does that sound like you're standing on your head in a bathtub full of herbal tea while the house is being razed around you? You be the judge--hearing is believing!

Okay, so you've never stood on your head in a bathtub full of herbal tea-- we understand. The music is improvisational, experimental, and you might call it "electronica". We use guitar synths, midi-fied plastic saxophones, toy robots, analog synths, samplers, sequencers, and pretty much whatever is laying around at the time. The music is impudent without being carcinogenic and has the rich bouquet of a 2000 pound gorilla.

The term Infinite Monkeys refers to that old adage that asserts that given an infinite number of monkeys each sitting at a typewriter would eventually by randomly pressing keys, type the complete works of Shakespeare. It should be noted that it is not just possible that they could do this, but in fact, the nature of infinity dictates that they must do this. I don't know where this concept originated, but it can be found in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (excellent book by the way). Click here for literary references to the Infinite Monkeys parable.

The infinite monkeys concept is not usually used to illustrate the nature of infinity. More often it is used to point out the fact that if a sufficient amount of resources (maybe an infinite amount) is thrown at a problem--any problem--the problem will be solved. This explains the naming of the Infinite Monkeys Project. This project is an attempt to decrypt an encryption code by recruiting project team members over the web until they have amassed enough computing power to break the code.

I like using Monkeys because that reminds us that although we are human beings, we are still animals. This can be difficult to accept. Our minds conspire with our social structures to obscure the fact that over 99.99% of everything we do is motivated by pure instinct. Sure it seems like our desicions are based on higher intellectual concepts, but if you keep digging, if you keep questioning, you'll see that we're really no different (other than our technology) than those monkeys swinging in the trees. Tell you what, next time you're watching one of those National Geographic type animal nature shows, apply everything they say about animal society to human society.

Furthermore, is there anyone who doesn't just love those cute little monkeys? Okay--last time you were at the zoo the cute critters we're flinging feces at your head. Well what would you do if you were trapped in cage? Is that what punk evolved from?

Click here to listen to the Infinite Monkeys music

Why we exist! Click here to read the Infinite Monkeys manifesto.

Dive into the private thoughts of primates! Click here for interview with Bob Dzerk