Member-only story
The Infinite in the Finite
Philosophical Implications of the Infinite Monkeys Theorem
Introduction: The Paradox of the Impossible
The recent groundbreaking study by (2024) on the numerical evaluation of the Infinite Monkeys Theorem opens new perspectives on one of the most fundamental questions in the philosophy of science: What happens when mathematical certainty intersects with physical impossibility? This theorem, which mathematically proves what can never occur in our physical world, leads us directly to fundamental philosophical questions.
Imagine an infinite number of monkeys randomly typing on keyboards. Mathematics assures us with absolute certainty that these monkeys would eventually produce every possible text — be it Shakespeare’s complete works, Plato’s dialogues, or this very essay. Yet here begins the philosophical paradox: What does such “certainty” mean in a finite world?
“Given plausible estimates of the lifespan of the universe and the amount of possible monkey typists available, this still leaves huge orders of magnitude differences between the resources available and those required for non-trivial text generation”. (Woodcock and Falletta, 2024)
