Nice letter from UK PM regarding Alan Turing

[Platypus]

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page20571

:thumbsup:, albeit a bit too late at this point.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Well it doesn't mean much at this stage but at least they've made the apology official :thumbsup:

 

[DingDingDao]

No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer
Well it doesn't mean much at this stage but at least they've made the apology official :thumbsup:

^

 

[Arcadio]

I've always considered Alan Turing one of my idols. I really wish more people knew about Turing and the other codebreakers during WW2. The physical battle was fought by soldiers, but the mental battle was fought by codebreakers. They both deserve major recognition.

 

[Oceandevi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

That's how I learned of this guy. He deserved a medal.

 

[TruePaige]

There is great irony in the fact that he helped win the war against Fascism only to be treated the same way...

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

That's how I learned of this guy. He deserved a medal.

His part in that is cool, Stephenson also references Turing machines a lot as a theme for The Diamond Age

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

That's how I learned of this guy. He deserved a medal.

Huh? I thought everyone here had a CS degree?

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

This.

Designing the bombe and his extremely vital work on the Naval Enigma sure helped save Britain's ass.

 

[ivan2]

thought they gave him a free sex change, but i guess he couldn't stand it =(

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: ivan2
thought they gave him a free sex change, but i guess he couldn't stand it =(

:roll:

 

[sdifox]

Should have been a public apology in the House of Lords or something of that scale.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: ivan2
thought they gave him a free sex change, but i guess he couldn't stand it =(

I think ATOT should start a collection to offer you the same kindness.

 

[mugs]

Gordon Brown?s statement came in response to a petition posted on the Number 10 website which has received thousands of signatures in recent months.

You shouldn't need a petition to tell you what's right and wrong

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

That's how I learned of this guy. He deserved a medal.

Huh? I thought everyone here had a CS degree?

I don't know about your school, but we were never taught that he was gay or how he was treated because of it.

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

This.

Designing the bombe and his extremely vital work on the Naval Enigma sure helped save Britain's ass.

Agreed.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: jalaram

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

That's how I learned of this guy. He deserved a medal.

Huh? I thought everyone here had a CS degree?

I don't know about your school, but we were never taught that he was gay or how he was treated because of it.

Originally posted by: K1052

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

This.

Designing the bombe and his extremely vital work on the Naval Enigma sure helped save Britain's ass.

Agreed.

Yeah,
but I would imagine people learn about Alan Turing in college rather some nobel.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Arcadio
I've always considered Alan Turing one of my idols. I really wish more people knew about Turing and the other codebreakers during WW2. The physical battle was fought by soldiers, but the mental battle was fought by codebreakers. They both deserve major recognition.

I read a biography of him a few years back called Alan Turing: The Enigma.

I remember thinking how he and Oppenheimer were both treated similiarly.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

You're an American, why do you think ANYONE needs to be knighted. It seems to me this country was founded on principles that deny royalty.

Sure old Al was railroaded, but what will knighting him do? Zero, that's right. Should they knight Oscar Wilde too? They did kind of the same thing to him. Well it won't make his books any better...

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

You're an American, why do you think ANYONE needs to be knighted. It seems to me this country was founded on principles that deny royalty.

Sure old Al was railroaded, but what will knighting him do? Zero, that's right. Should they knight Oscar Wilde too? They did kind of the same thing to him. Well it won't make his books any better...

I don't get it; are you saying that Oscar Wilde was a bad writer?

that, and you think someone like Paul McCartney deserves to be knighted more than Turing?

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

You're an American, why do you think ANYONE needs to be knighted. It seems to me this country was founded on principles that deny royalty.

Sure old Al was railroaded, but what will knighting him do? Zero, that's right. Should they knight Oscar Wilde too? They did kind of the same thing to him. Well it won't make his books any better...

I don't get it; are you saying that Oscar Wilde was a bad writer?

that, and you think someone like Paul McCartney deserves to be knighted more than Turing?

Wasn't Mick Jaggar also knighted?

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

You're an American, why do you think ANYONE needs to be knighted. It seems to me this country was founded on principles that deny royalty.

Sure old Al was railroaded, but what will knighting him do? Zero, that's right. Should they knight Oscar Wilde too? They did kind of the same thing to him. Well it won't make his books any better...

Why bother apologizing, then? And who gives a shit if I'm an American? If he was an American, I'd suggest posthumously giving him the Medal of Freedom. But he was a Brit, so give him the highest honor that can be bestowed upon him.

Your comments make no logical sense.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

You're an American, why do you think ANYONE needs to be knighted. It seems to me this country was founded on principles that deny royalty.

Sure old Al was railroaded, but what will knighting him do? Zero, that's right. Should they knight Oscar Wilde too? They did kind of the same thing to him. Well it won't make his books any better...

I don't get it; are you saying that Oscar Wilde was a bad writer?

that, and you think someone like Paul McCartney deserves to be knighted more than Turing?

Bad writer? How do you get that? Zin, I wouild have to say that most of the time you try to misunderstand me.

Oscar wilde was thrown into prison at hard labor for being gay, and it ultimately killed him. Will knighting him make up for what he was put through? Will knighting him make him any wittier? He is probably already one of the smartest people to ever inhabit this planet.

Will knighting Turing make up for anything? Will it make him more brilliant? NO! it will simply tie him to a group of thugs. In my mind knighthood is dishonorable despite what many people think of it now.

Knighting actors and musicians is fucking laughable!

Originally posted by: DingDingDao

Originally posted by: SphinxnihpS

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
No one will remember this apology. Turing needs to be posthumously knighted.

You're an American, why do you think ANYONE needs to be knighted. It seems to me this country was founded on principles that deny royalty.

Sure old Al was railroaded, but what will knighting him do? Zero, that's right. Should they knight Oscar Wilde too? They did kind of the same thing to him. Well it won't make his books any better...

Why bother apologizing, then? And who gives a shit if I'm an American? If he was an American, I'd suggest posthumously giving him the Medal of Freedom. But he was a Brit, so give him the highest honor that can be bestowed upon him.

Your comments make no logical sense.

Most every knight that ever lived was boot heel on the necks of peasants in a feudal system. Though knighthood today is just an honorary title, it still harkens back to times when knights were fucking entitled (royal) bastards. Americans by and large, until lately, have detested such entitlements. In other words grab a history book or 12.

 

[91TTZ]

Turing was a great scientist, but I think most of his hardcore fans are gay dudes who like him primarily because he was gay. It's as if he's a rallying cry for the gay rights cause. For instance, it seems that most of the posters who are pushing the issue in here are frequently seen in gay-related threads.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Turing wasn't treated badly or that he doesn't deserve an apology, but I am saying that much of the support for him has nothing to do with science.

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: 91TTZIt's as if he's a rallying cry for the gay rights cause.

The problem with that being...???

Knighting him IMO would teach people about the man, both the good things he did for Britain and the bad things done to him. It all starts with a simple "Who's Sir Alan Turing?" to learn.