How long does it take a monkey to write Shakespeare?

Common chimpanzee

Porträt eines Schimpansen. (Pan troglodytes) Credit: Andyworks/Getty Images

The Infinite-Monkey Theorem states that a monkey that randomly types on a typewriter for an infinite amount of time could eventually write the works of William Shakespeare. But how realistic is this idea really? Two Australian mathematicians did the math and came up with surprising results.



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