Unsung Gay Hero--Alan Turing

[bcohen7719]

Without him, would the Nazis have won

the war?

 

BC

 

[video=youtube;-GaKUAGSmmw]

[Diverdan]

The war would certainly have gone on a lot longer...this was a major tragedy, and the entire world owes him a debt of gratitude...

[+ FreshFluff]

I've heard estimates that Turing's ENIGMA decodes took 2 years off the length of the war. Too bad the British were so keep on keeping the project secret so that they could resell the German machines to third world countries and keep track of their communications. If Turing's contributions had been known, he would have been treated differently. (Of course, that ANYONE was forced to undergo chemical castration is unjust.)

 

BTW, Google devoted a Doodle to him a few days ago.

[tyro]

This film looks great.

[maxwellissmart]

I've heard estimates that Turing's ENIGMA decodes took 2 years off the length of the war. Too bad the British were so keep on keeping the project secret so that they could resell the German machines to third world countries and keep track of their communications. If Turing's contributions had been known, he would have been treated differently. (Of course, that ANYONE was forced to undergo chemical castration is unjust.)

 

BTW, Google devoted a Doodle to him a few days ago.

 

You may change your mind when the predicted technological singularity knocks on your door.

[Steven_Draker]

Coincidentally, this Saturday, June 23rd, would have been Turing's 100th birthday.

 

Those interested can consult http://www.turingcentenary.eu

[bcohen7719]

Here's more...

 

BC

 

[video=youtube;g7_WzNzHwJY]

[gp0560]

I'm surprised no one has diverted our attention to the actor who plays Turing. He's not my body type, but I like his face. Would love to do a lip lock together.

[+ FreshFluff]

"Turing believes men think.

Turing lies with men.

Therefore machines do not think."

 

The poor guy died thinking his science wouldn't be taken seriously because of his orientation. I wish he could see the world now.

[Toulouse]

Bcohen, Thanks so much for sharing this. I must admit, sadly, that I had never heard of Mr. Turing until now. I, too, would like to see this film.

[raulgmanzo]

Turing has been one of my heros since I started reading about him and the Turing Test when I was a geeky kid into computers.

Wasn't till years later that I learned of his sexual orientation.

 

The war would certainly have gone on a lot longer...this was a major tragedy, and the entire world owes him a debt of gratitude...

 

Along with Turings great contributions we can also be greateful that the Nazis gave little to no support to Turing's German pioneering counterpart Konrad Zuse who makes IBM seem like a late comer.

[raulgmanzo]

"Turing believes men think.

Turing lies with men.

Therefore machines do not think."

 

The poor guy died thinking his science wouldn't be taken seriously because of his orientation. I wish he could see the world now.

 

Likewise I wish that Ada Lovelace could see the world today. She while nearly a hundred years before Turing is considered by many to be the first computer programmer.

 

Imagine if Ada and Alan (who of course knew of and read Ada's work) could meet over tea and see how far their work has come.

[Lookin]

Along with Turings great contributions we can also be greateful that the Nazis gave little to no support to Turing's German pioneering counterpart Konrad Zuse who makes IBM seem like a late comer.

 

A few years ago in the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Munich, I saw a replica of one of Zuse's machines, the Z3, built by the man himself as well as the Z4. All of Zuse's machines used electromechanical relays and the Z4 took three seconds to multiply two large numbers.

 

The machines that Turing et al built at Bletchley Park to crack German cyphers used vacuum tubes and were much faster. I'm not sure how complex the Allied cyphers were, but it may be that Zuse's relay machines would not have been able to beat them. Though, as you say, if the Germans had pumped money into the technology, as they did so many others, who knows what would have happened? For a start, they could have developed better methods of encryption than provided by the Enigma and other mechanical machines in use during the war.

 

Like you and some others here, I've fantasized about being able to go back in time and show my Macbook Pro to Turing, so he could see what his contributions would spawn. I also imagined telling him about how the life of gay men changed only a decade after he passed. (To give him something to really look forward to, I'd be sure to show him a screen shot of your website. http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/whistle.png)

 

Perhaps understandably, Turing's mother never believed he killed himself on purpose and thought the apple became contaminated by his lab chemicals. And some believe he was assassinated because of what he could tell Britain's enemies. Cold War hysteria was at its peak at the time.

 

By any measure, a complex man with a complex story.

[bcohen7719]

A few years ago in the Deutsches Technikmuseum in Munich, I saw a replica of one of Zuse's machines, the Z3, built by the man himself as well as the Z4. All of Zuse's machines used electromechanical relays and the Z4 took three seconds to multiply two large numbers.

 

The machines that Turing et al built at Bletchley Park to crack German cyphers used vacuum tubes and were much faster. I'm not sure how complex the Allied cyphers were, but it may be that Zuse's relay machines would not have been able to beat them. Though, as you say, if the Germans had pumped money into the technology, as they did so many others, who knows what would have happened? For a start, they could have developed better methods of encryption than provided by the Enigma and other mechanical machines in use during the war.

 

Like you and some others here, I've fantasized about being able to go back in time and show my Macbook Pro to Turing, so he could see what his contributions would spawn. I also imagined telling him about how the life of gay men changed only a decade after he passed. (To give him something to really look forward to, I'd be sure to show him a screen shot of your website. http://www.maleescortreview.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/whistle.png)

 

Perhaps understandably, Turing's mother never believed he killed himself on purpose and thought the apple became contaminated by his lab chemicals. And some believe he was assassinated because of what he could tell Britain's enemies. Cold War hysteria was at its peak at the time.

 

By any measure, a complex man with a complex story.

 

Thanks, L. This is fascinating and all new to me.

Thank you very much!

 

BC