Alan Turing's trouble with convention

My favorite fragment from the documentary Breaking the Code, about the life and work of Alan Turing, the inventor of the digital computer and the one who broke the Nazi 'Enigma' code. The film is mostly about Turing breaking another code - the social conventions of his time.

I love Turing's attitude about how one should simply ignore the simple minded idiots that get offended by any departure from "normality", no matter how harmless that departure is. There are more important and interesting things to do than to worry about such idiots. Unfortunately however, in his case intolerance had the last word.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• turing
• computer
• gay
• conformity
• wittgenstein

[halfondat]

The shame of Britain the way this great man was treated.

[acbulgin2]

When I see a pregnant woman with her husband and two other young children in tow, it is reasonable to assume that there is a great deal of screwing going on between the two adults. It is unlikely in most cases the children would be the result of IVF. That does amount to a sort of parading about of one's sexuality, but it does not bother me. People need to realize that THEIR reactions to the behavior of others are THEIR problem unless said behavior harms them in some material way.

[powerdriller10]

Jacobi was not the right actor for impersonating Turing, not because Jacobi acting is not great --he is of course--; but, because he is loaded by his past great plays in the mind of the viewers, while the Turing impersonation required and deserved somebody new and not only great. Turing was a hell of a man and a hero destroyed by an immensely sorrily tragedy. Viewers needed to focus in Turing without interfering back flashes that Derek Jacobbi was constantly inducing.

[kylecoriza]

@D119heavy Umm, Slavery?

[raeffray]

@acbulgin2 Great thesis with an nefarious argumentation.

[raeffray]

@acbulgin2 Great thesis with an nefarious argumentation.

[raeffray]

@acbulgin2 Great thesis with an nefarious argumentation.

[Aannan]

I want to go out and find the movie now. Two wonderful actors and such an intriguing script. Thanks for uploading.

[D119heavy]

Slavery & Homosexuality

Guess which one the Bible says is okay.

[GeoffWilkins]

Derek Jacobi is great in the Turing role, but the star of this scene is undoubtedly Richard Johnson as Dilly Knox.

[fenric71]

@halfondat very much agree! he basically won us the war and we treated him like sh*t. Just because of sexuality.

[TroyOi]

@eutuve I'm not so sure there weren't many in the UK, especially in the upper echelons of power, who weren't willing to turn their eyes. If this biographical account is at all accurate, Turing's mistake was to let the police know he was a practicing homosexual. The police did... well, they did what police do: they went by the letter of the law, for whatever motives. Once that train got rolling, & everything was out in public, it was difficult for anyone to stop it.