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  1. By Arkady on February 16, 2011 2:45 PM

    “If there are 50 keys on the typewriter, the probability of the monkey getting Shakespeare correct is raised to the power of the number of characters, letters and spaces, in Shakespeare plus the adjustments of the typewriter needed for capitals and punctuation. On this basis the chance of the monkey typing the word ‘Hamlet’ correctly is one in 15,625,000,000, so to quote the probability of him typing the complete works involves a large number indeed. It may be theoretically possible, but it would probably be a project that would last to the end of the universe. By then monkey’s may have evolved enough to find better use for their time.”

    ha ha Arkady,
    This sounds suspiciously like a creationist argument.
    Just cut and paste “organized mass of atoms” for “monkey” and you will see what I mean.

    …which brings us to Jeopardy : Man Vs. Supercomputer.

  2. Probability is prediction of distribution, legion. Nice and simple. Nothing to do with quantum mechanics or bridges between reality and observations. It’s a set of rules that let us predict with reasonable certainty what the distribution of outcomes would be if a particular test were repeated a large number of times.

  3. im there’s gotta be one in the apartment, i just have to know what it is im looking for. goya wet chick peas or dry? everytime ive ever made beans from the dry beans they always came out hard even tho i let them soak for days

    *rob*

  4. lechacal and bsm

    Serious question,

    …is probability then,
    just a way for humans to bridge
    a gap in understanding between our reality
    and observations of our universe?
    Most times our expected outcomes do fall
    in line with our calculations, after all.

    Sometimes they don’t.

    Is it more likely that there is a set
    determined outcome which we cannot understand
    but can sort of piece together with probability?
    Is what we term “coincidence” a hint that
    the bridge is built on an unstable foundation?

    I don’t know the answer.

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