[SoG] The Infinite Monkey Theoremย ๐ย ๐ย ๐
๐ The Infinite Monkey Theorem ๐
Good Morning!
After I wrote that 3000-word post on taking notes last week, I am going to take it easy.
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The text above?
Well, I started by typing "Today" in my all hosh and hawaas. And then I closed my eyes and started banging on the keyboard randomly. In the process, I broke a key but that's ok. With great sacrifices come great outcomes.
So the text above is largely gibberish but if you look close, you'd see I actually typed a legit English language word at random. Guess which one and tell me in replies :D? And if you can spot more than one, PLEASE do tell me cos I could only see one.
Now, imagine we scale this experiment.
We line up 10 Saurabhs. Arm each with an unbreakable keyboard, constant supply of Diet Coke, a large reward at the end of it and ask them to type away, do you think they would be able to randomly churn at least 10 words that are legit? I think yes!
And then, you scale it further.
Get 10000 Saurabh's and make them type for 10 years each. Do you think in all the random text they'd be able to come up with one simple sentence that is legit per rules of the English language? I think they can. PS: In case you did not know, "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo" is a legit sentence per American English? Here. Read.
Now, scale it to infinite monkeys and give them an infinite amount of time.
Will they now be able to re-create the complete works of Shakespeare?
I reckon yes!!!
And that is what the Infinite Monkey Theorem is!
Per Wikipedia, "The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type any given text, such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. In fact, the monkey would almost surely type every possible finite text an infinite number of times."
Of course, the odds of this happened are severely limited. It's a mere thought experiment after all. You know, like Schrodinger's Cat!
See below.
And is there something that Simpsons' hasn't predicted?
So, why do I talk about it? and about monkeys, buffalos, and cats?
Well, my interpretation is that as an individual that works in the knowledge economy, there are just two ways to create sustainable revenue and relevance for yourself.
A. You become so good that every piece you drop is so good that it is like a gem and there are people scrambling to get to it before they are picked by someone else.
B. You become so prolific, so persistent, so consistent, so abundant, so out there that they can not ignore you. And then the law of numbers takes its course and one of your pieces becomes so big that you are sorted.
Here are some examples...
You know that book? How to Win Friends and Influence People? The author wrote some 19 books. Of course, we know of just one.
Newton, the guy we know for apples falling and all that wrote more volumes on "occult studies" including alchemy and Biblical interpretations than he wrote on science!
Piccaso, the painter? Well, a website says, "As one of the most prolific artists of all times, it is estimated that Picasso, during a 75-year career span, produced an estimated: 13,500 paintings 100,000 graphic prints or engravings 34,000 book illustrations 300 sculptures and ceramics"
Edison, the light bulb guy holds more than 1000 patents to his name!
So, I am clearly not in the first category. Because that requires deep expertise in one certain area, you know that T-shaped profile that people talk about?
And because I do not have a "one" thing that I am passionate about and I want to be relevant and be among Dale, Issac, Thomas, and Pablo, I am forced to take route 2. And create so much and so often that something sticks.
You know, it's like throwing a thousand darts, hoping one would hit the bull's eye. That is why I write this newsletter, a blog, short bursts on twitter, and books. And that is why I try and pick ideas from strangers and try to network. I think of myself as a collection of infinite monkeys that is typing away on a keyboard randomly, hoping that I would churn out something that a Shakespeare would be proud of!
Of course, there are people that think I am spoiling my "brand" by pushing substandard work. But then, I am not in the first category. And if I do not ship, I will probably not get the practice required to be able to ship that magnum opus, whenever that is supposed to happen!
Lesson for you?
Give the monkeys sleeping inside of a start! Lemme know if you'd like me to help you with it.
That's about it!
Take care,
Stay safe, stay good!
Oh, and a PLUG!
Like I've been saying for 2 weeks now, I am starting YET ANOTHER NEWSLETTER. I know that the collective of monkeys that I represent have too many keyboards to pound on and too much time! This one is like a curated newsletter that has the best of things that I've read in the week gone by. This would include a wide range of topics but I promise it would be worth your time :) In case you'd like to subscribe to it, please lemme know by adding your name and email here.
So yeah!
That's about it for the week.
Have a great weekend!
Oh, if you like this, please do share this with people that ought to read this!
Regards,
@saurabh
SoGv4-11
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