Gordon Brown Passes the Turing Test
September 11th, 2009 by Paul Ceruzzi
U.K.. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has issued a sincere apology for the way Alan Turing was treated by his country, leading to his suicide in 1954. Brown correctly states that you cannot turn back the clock and undo a past mistake. But have a look at his statement, which you can find here.
This story has wider implications. After World War II, Britain stood on the verge of dominating the post-war, high-tech economy. They built the world’s first electronic computers–at least 10 Colossus machines! They pioneered in the commercialization of computers, with the LEO. They pioneered in radar, with the invention of the cavity magnetron. They flew one of the first jet-propelled aircraft. They first described the workings of the DNA molecule–the basis for the modern biotech industry. But the U.K. did not gain the prosperity that should have gone along with that leadership in science and technology. A lesson for the U.S.?
September 12th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Paul,
The despicable “treatment” that Alan Turing was forced to undergo was very much a reflection of what happens when willful ignorance is coupled to the preeminence of dogma. How many other brilliant scientific and technical minds underwent humiliation, denegration and ultimately death at the hands of simple but self-righteous minds?
As for our current situation in the USA vs. the post WWII lessons from Britain – we have nothing to celebrate as we too disolved our technology manufacturing base to save the consumer a few dollars. From our nation’s wholesale exportation of our factories to our refusal to fund the Superconducting Super Collider to the recent NASA report advocating a dramatic reversal of manned space missions – our obsession with cheap goods at any cost will surely come back to haunt us as we mirror the dissolution of manufacturing, engineering, scientific and technical brilliance that the British followed after WWII.
Best,
George
George Keremedjiev
Director
American Computer Museum
Bozeman, MT
September 14th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
At the risk of sounding like a crotchety old man, I have to agree with you, George. The loss of U.S. manufacturing capability is serious, and it does not bode well for the kinds of careers our children can expect to have.
While still on the topic of British loss of their technological eminence, I could also add their post-war sports cars–remember the Jaguar, Triumph, Austin-Healey? Or motorcycles–the Triumph Bonneville? The BSA? The Japanese studied these machines carefully, and then beat the British at their own game. Now is it our turn? I hope not.