What is the Probability that I could.........?

Question

Because computers boil down to 1s and 0s, And picture files do as well. What is the probability that I could create a picture of myself by randomly typing in 1s and 0s. I understand how binary works and how bits and bytes work, i just would like to know what the number is. And i would like an explaination, not just a number.

Answer 1

You said you'd be typing randomly, and I assume you mean that in the mathematical sense: that's TRULY without any predictability.

Then it really boils down on the specs of the picture. For reference, I took a picture that a really beautiful lady friend of mine sent of herself: it's 1600 x 1200 pixels, the file size is 427,479 bytes.

427,479 bytes, that's 3,419,832 bits; there exist 2-to-the-power-of-3,419,832 different ways to type in a sequence of zeros and ones of length 3,419,832. My calculator can't calculate that number.

However, there's a huge number of sequences of zeros and ones that could result in a picture (of size 1600 by 1200) of yourself. This is where my explanation breaks down, because how do you calculate the number of pictures that depict 'you'? (A picture of you could be taken from different angles, with you in different positions, with you wearing different clothes. Any of those pictures of you with half of the pixels made white would still be recognizable as you; so would any picture of you with half of the pixels made black, or any other color. You could change the color of the pixels in different ways: around the edge, effectively making the picture smaller; or randomly inside the picture, etc., etc., etc.) You'd have to divide aforementioned number by the number of pictures that would depict 'you', and then you'd get the probability of you typing in your own picture. The probability would of course be: 1 in the resulting number.

My guess would be (based on calculations I once did on 128-bit numbers; those are a LOT smaller than the numbers we're talking about here!) that if you had 7,000,000,000 (roughly the earth's current population) computers, and you each had them generating 'pictures', a billion times per second for the entire estimated life time of the earth (15,000,000,000 years), then still none of them would generate a picture of you.

Even with billions and billions of copies of the earth, it still wouldn't happen.

Answer 2

well since a typical jpeg is 1 megabyte or two .... and every byte is 8 bits ... ur gonna be typing for a week or two assuming u knew the sequence and how to adress the memory manually ..

Answer 3

no chance, sorry