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Alan Turing Finally Gets His Apology

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Posts

  • Brian888Brian888 Registered User
    moniker wrote: »
    Brian888 wrote: »
    The Cat wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Æthelred wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with tokens. Tokens are pretty important.

    Yeah, but I have to agree with Elldren. It would have just been better coming from Blair at the height of his decade as PM rather than Brown not long before his getting ousted. Thatcher doing it would have been even better.
    Are we talking about the Thatcher that wanted to put gays in camps to combat HIV? That Thatcher?


    Cat posted before I could, but yes, Thatcher would have gargled broken glass before apologizing to Turing.

    Which is why it would have been all the more impressive than Brown doing it now right before turning out the lights in #10.


    Well, yes, in a total alternate history sort of way. Realistically, Thatcher apologizing to Turing was never in the cards.

    • Agree Awesome
  • KesterKester Registered User
    Rorus Raz wrote: »
    So the penalty for homosexuality in the UK at that time was prison or having your wang dissolved?

    That's all 31 flavors of fucked up.

    Thing is, it wasn't even intended as a penalty. They genuinely thought they were helping by giving chemicals to people and helping them repress their "unnatural urges" :? Not that that makes it any better.

    Hell, it was only within the last 20 years that the WHO stopped recognising homosexuality as a disease.

    • Agree Awesome
  • GungHoGungHo Registered User regular
    The Cat wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Æthelred wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with tokens. Tokens are pretty important.
    Yeah, but I have to agree with Elldren. It would have just been better coming from Blair at the height of his decade as PM rather than Brown not long before his getting ousted. Thatcher doing it would have been even better.
    Are we talking about the Thatcher that wanted to put gays in camps to combat HIV? That Thatcher?
    A lot of 'merkins don't realize how far-right Thatcher really was.

    "Adios, mofo" -- TX Gov Rick Perry (R)
    • Agree Awesome
  • bongibongi Awaiting Email Confirmation
    Alan Turing is literally one of my heroes and I've always considered my nation's treatment of him one of the saddest parts of our history

    I am actually getting a little tearful right now

    • Agree Awesome
  • Operative21Operative21 Registered User regular
    Well it's nice to see Turing finally get some official acknowledgement, even if it's far far too late. The guy definitely made some pretty significant contributions to our society (not to mention being one of the founding members of the Virtual Adepts in Mage: The Ascension :P ), and definitely deserved better than what he got.

    • Agree Awesome
  • HedgethornHedgethorn Associate Professor of Historical Hobby Horses In the Lions' DenRegistered User regular
    cyphr wrote: »
    I really believe that at some point in the future, Turing will be considered by historians as much an important and revolutionary figure as Gutenberg was. The man basically single-handedly laid the foundations for the interconnected 21st century world, and created an entirely new field of science in the process.

    It's hard to know just how much credit to give to each of the pioneers in computer science, but it seems to me that this praise is a bit too effusive. Turing's work was the one that really captured imaginations, but no one denies that Alonzo Church and John van Neumann both, apparently independently of Turing, hit upon the very same mathematical results. And it's not entirely surprising that all three of them produced such similar work in the space of just a couple of years; all of them were working in the shadow of Kurt Godel's achievements in the early 1930s. Godel is the one who seems, to me at least, to be the real pioneer here.

    This is not meant to detract from Turing's numerous accomplishments, though. In particular, his work breaking Enigma was a feat of sheer engineering brilliance.

    • Agree Awesome
  • QinguQingu Registered User regular
    How exactly do you poison an apple such that you would eat it and then die?

    Also:

    gaycomputer.jpg

    I think it is safe to assume that this is satire because:

    1. Rainbow flags
    2. Proper grammar and spelling.

    However, I need more reassurance.

    • Agree Awesome
  • monikermoniker Registered User regular
    Qingu wrote: »
    How exactly do you poison an apple such that you would eat it and then die?

    With cyanide.

    Alternatively:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb7g5T9G2VA

    tea-1.jpg
    • Agree Awesome
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Registered User regular
    Qingu wrote: »
    Spoiler:

    I think it is safe to assume that this is satire because:

    1. Rainbow flags
    2. Proper grammar and spelling.

    However, I need more reassurance.

    A non-satirical poster wouldn't have included the stuff about WWII and the Enigma.

    Spoiler:
    • Agree Awesome
  • darthmixdarthmix Registered User
    I was just reading this thread and thinking, "You know, I'm suprised nobody's started an urban legend claiming that the Apple corporation's name/logo/symbol is a reference to Turing's death." Then I googled it and discovered that, of course, there is an urban legend that says exactly that.

    • Agree Awesome
  • DelzhandDelzhand motivated battle programmerRegistered User regular
    GungHo wrote: »
    The Cat wrote: »
    moniker wrote: »
    Æthelred wrote: »
    Nothing wrong with tokens. Tokens are pretty important.
    Yeah, but I have to agree with Elldren. It would have just been better coming from Blair at the height of his decade as PM rather than Brown not long before his getting ousted. Thatcher doing it would have been even better.
    Are we talking about the Thatcher that wanted to put gays in camps to combat HIV? That Thatcher?
    A lot of 'merkins don't realize how far-right Thatcher really was.

    *cough*

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

    9KKPPQw.png
    • Agree Awesome
  • ChanusChanus Registered User regular
    Delzhand wrote: »
    GungHo wrote: »
    A lot of 'merkins don't realize how far-right Thatcher really was.

    *cough*

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

    Yeah, if anyone's a pussy wig, it's a Brit!

    /hides


    (I don't know what that is supposed to mean)


    To make an attempt at a relevant post, that poster in the pic also has a website on it... looks like www.myage.us?

    g65uPd73MZbtxKsuhj9CIN4-rlYqu9ptxE4yvIJVwZY
    • Agree Awesome
  • ForarForar Registered User regular
    Werewulfy wrote: »
    Wow, I, uh, didn't really know anything about Turing save the whole "Turing test" thing. I kinda knew he was involved with code stuff, but really didn't know the extent.

    I also had no idea about his sexuality, persecution, or death.

    It's a good thing to know, albeit not a very happy one.

    This pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. While I was aware of Mr. Turing, I wasn't aware of his orientation or what it led to.

    He deserved to be commended and showered in accolades, and I'm saddened to hear what his actual end was.

    dbrock270 wrote: »
    You know, if Obama wins, I will never make another political prediction on these boards for the rest of my life.
    Steam: Forar Origin: Forar80 B.Net: Forar#1391
    • Agree Awesome
  • darthmixdarthmix Registered User
    Chanus wrote: »
    To make an attempt at a relevant post, that poster in the pic also has a website on it... looks like www.myage.us?
    Which gets a 404. There's also a phone number which according to reverse phone lookup belongs to a cell phone in Boston.
    Qingu wrote: »
    However, I need more reassurance.
    She's wearing stickers that say "I agree with the SJC" which I now learn refers to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts.

    • Agree Awesome
  • MittenMitten Registered User
    darthmix wrote: »
    I was just reading this thread and thinking, "You know, I'm suprised nobody's started an urban legend claiming that the Apple corporation's name/logo/symbol is a reference to Turing's death." Then I googled it and discovered that, of course, there is an urban legend that says exactly that.

    Oh wow, I'd never thought of that. The original logo is even rainbow colored. Even if it's not true that's sorta neat.

    • Agree Awesome
  • Phil G.Phil G. __BANNED USERS
    Ahem. It wasn't just Turing who cracked Enigma. In fact, in had already been cracked by Polish cryptographers before the war, he (along with a team of cryptographers) just developed an easier way to do it.

    That said, good on Brown for acknowledging the mistakes of the past.

    CptHamilton wrote: »
    I kind of wish pi day would take off like 420 has. I could back a "eat pie at 3:14, erryday" movement.
    • Agree Awesome
  • KageraKagera Registered User regular
    Feral wrote: »
    MrMister wrote: »
    I approve of the lesser-known fact about Turing's prosecution and death being brought into wider circulation.

    Seriously.

    As somebody else said: Gay dude saves western civilization, gets persecuted and driven to suicide for being gay.

    Basically he was Jesus.

    _J_ wrote:
    If we only allowed pedophiles to be parents, then we would never have to worry about children being left alone, unwatched.
    XBL: Fanatical One AIM: itskagera
    • Agree Awesome
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