by Simon 6 Replies latest social current
How times change !!
Alan Turing, Founder of computer science, mathematician, philosopher, codebreaker, strange visionary and a gay man before his time died 50 years ago today.
He played a major role in the WWII war effor, being instrumental in cracking the Enigma code.
http://www.turing.org.uk/bio/part4.html
Society wasn't ready for his lifestyle though and he ended up taking his own life after establishment harrassment.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06/07/manchester_honours_turing/
I watched a movie about his story, called "Breaking the Code".
It was quite a story. I think he was played by Derek Jacobi (?). One of the many unsung heroes from our histories.
It is sad that society repaid him with harrassment and judgementalism because he was gay. Interesting to note the point mentioned in that article ---> speculation as to whether his death was a suicide or not. Who knows the truth, when we are dealing with secret service, etc.
tal
I watched a movie about his story, called "Breaking the Code".
Can't have been a hollywood effort then ... they would have had John Wayne cracking it or something
I saw here in the US on the History Channel about the role Bletchley Park and Alan Turing played in the WW2 victory - enabled tracking of U boats and many other things - I am glad it was recognized here in the US - will not say too much more about North West Engalnd Scientists and Mathematicians
Yeah right, and then Hollywood excreted U-571, a rather revisionist 'recognition' ... It does have a rather impressive soundtrack though.
(c)
I saw here in the US on the History Channel about the role Bletchley Park and Alan Turing played in the WW2 victory - enabled tracking of U boats and many other things - I am glad it was recognized here in the US -
I saw that too... great show and VERY interesting how the Nazis never found out the English broke the code.
Don't forget the Turing Test, a test of computer artifical intelligence devised way ahead of its time! This man was a genius to which the world owes so much, and yet his work was ended prematurely just because he was gay. Sadly, Turing then ended his life prematurely. What else he might have contributed to mathematics, computers, and cryptology if he had lived will never be known!
