The Infinite Monkey Theorem Experiment

The Premise

Probability can be a hard concept to understand, especially when discussing the probability of highly unlikely events. The original “infinite monkey theorem” posits that given an infinite amount of time, a monkey with a typewriter could eventually type out Shakespeare by randomly mashing keys. We wanted to create a visual explainer of this concept using a slightly different medium, keyboards aimed at playing well-known melodies. And using computers instead of monkeys.

My Contributions

• Most front-end development (HTML, CSS, and D3) including the creation of the playing keyboards

Collaborators

This story was in collaboration with The Pudding’s Russell Goldenberg. The idea was originally Russell’s but we worked together to figure out the best way to present the information and in bringing the story to life.

Screenshots