Alan Turing: The Enigma
To what extent has the life of Alan Turing influenced the modern world?
The aim of this article is to research the life of one of the most brilliant individuals in history, Alan Turing, and how he has changed the world we live in today. Being interested in mathematics and physics myself, I have always respected and looked up to Alan Turing for his dedication and contributions but also for experiencing events that caused the tragic end of his life.
When the name, “Alan Turing” is brought up, it might sound unfamiliar to most. However, the mobile phones we hold in our hands, the computers we use at work, the products made from artificial intelligence that we use in our daily lives, are all linked with him. It is safe to say that his accomplishments have had a huge impact on our world today. Known as the Father of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, he dedicated his life to science. His life was like a firework display, full of bright colors that shine in all different shapes and forms, yet lasted for only a short while. Turing’s work shortened World War Two and saved millions of lives as well as laid the groundwork for the technological age we live in today. He sacrificed his life for society, yet gave his life because of society.
The Father of Modern Computing
Towards the end of World War II, German U-Boats were closing in on the Allies’ ships to stop supplies from coming into Britain. The Germans set up a communication machine called
“Enigma”.1 The purpose was to translate normal German into an incomprehensible language, which was then translated into Morse code over the airwaves. The Allies were able to hear what was being said, but could not understand a word of it. Another difficulty that the Allies faced was that the language was being changed every 24 hours. The Germans were worried that the Allies would break the code, so every time the Allies tried to decipher the code, there were also blackouts and glitches in the sound system. This caused frustration amongst the Allies because they always had to be one step ahead of the Germans and predict their next code language.
From February to October 1942, hundreds of thousands of allied ships were sunk every month. The Allies feared that the British would starve to death one day because of the lack of resources. Turing and his team came up with multiple solutions to try and break Enigma, and eventually, Turing created an electromagnetic machine called the Bombe. The Bombe was able to search through different possible positions of the wheels on the Enigma, looking for a pattern of connections that could translate these codes into plain German. According to an article published by the Guardian, former US president Dwight Eisenhower claimed that Turing’s invention shortened the war by at least 2 years as well as saved millions of lives.
“The Turing Test”: The Relationship between Humanity and Technology
Alan Turing continued to contribute to the world of artificial intelligence and engineering after the success at Bletchley Park. One of the most remarkable achievements made by Turing was the “Turing Test”. In this test, he reflects on some of the most core questions of computer science. What really is consciousness, and can an artificial machine really think like a human? These aspects are all connected to modern-day technology which we use every day. In the Turing test, Alan Turing presents a new perspective of how we interpret and use computer science in order to not only better understand the world but to understand ourselves.
In 1936, after acquiring his Ph.D., Turing casted a paper in a magazine in London titled “On the application of digital computing in decision-making problems”. In this paper, he introduces the idea of the Turing Test. Later, in 1950, he published two papers titled “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” and “Can a machine think?” in which he goes into more depth on the psychology of computers. It is the latter paper that gave him the title of “The Father of Computer Science”. Turing predicted that by the end of the 20th century, computers will think like humans. His discoveries and research laid the foundations for the future development of artificial intelligence.
Turing’s contributions and inventions were too advanced for people at the time to comprehend, therefore many of his ideas went unnoticed until way after his death when they became known as brilliant. Even when in school, his teachers did not recognize his talent and gift. As the world progresses, we are able to comprehend more advanced concepts. Thus, Turing’s ideas were broadcast all around the world.
Throughout the history of technology, there have been countless contributions that have impacted the current technological world we live in. Alan Turing, however, was one of the most influential contributors. This is not because he simply invented a new technology, but because he linked together science and humanities and discovered the relationship between them. This is the definition of artificial intelligence; the intelligence that machines can have. Turing’s work laid the foundations for the progression of technology and machine learning.
Ethics and Innovation
Even though Alan Turing was highly praised for both his work at Bletchley Park and his future accomplishments, there are aspects of his private life that society did not accept him for. He was homosexual and battled with this for almost his whole life. He constantly wrote to his friends. In one of his letters, he wrote, “I have had a dream indicating rather clearly that I am on the way to being hetero, though I don’t accept it with much enthusiasm either awake or in the dreams.” In 1952, Turing was convicted for homosexual behavior. He was accused of and later admitted to “acts of gross indecency”6at trial. As a result of his prosecution, he had a choice to either serve jail time or undergo hormone therapy. He chose the latter. As Turing’s mental and physical health was in poor condition, he suffered great amounts. He lost his security clearance as well as his job at GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters).
The law legalizing homosexuality in the United Kingdom was passed in 19677, titled “The Sexual Offenses Act”. The conflict that Turing faced is still faced by many today. Equality of sexual orientation has been a controversial topic over the past century, and although it has raised more awareness in the past few decades, there are still many that face discrimination. Alan Turing’s story has also taught us the close-mindedness of traditional society. An individual could save millions of lives, achieve what only a small portion of individuals could achieve, yet have that all taken away just because they have a different perspective than what is considered “normal”.
Alan Turing has not only impacted the world scientifically, but he has influenced the next generation in terms of the morals and ethics we use to assess an individual. His experiences have taught us a basic moral lesson; we should not use a person’s sexuality to judge an individual and ignore their devotions. After much protest from the public demanding him to be pardoned, in 2013, he was given a royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II8. This recognition of Alan Turing’s status as a victim of homophobic mistreatment is another step towards the fight for equality in sexual orientation.
Conclusion
From cracking Enigma to finding the connections between humans and technology, Turing has made a tremendous impact on the world. Yet he was mistreated and misunderstood constantly throughout the short 30 years of his life. His discoveries are the foundation of not just computers and technology, but the way we live.
Today we live in an era that is much luckier than Turing’s. We begin to learn to be tolerant and to understand and respect different choices. We have more rights to be who we want to be. This is a sign of human and societal progression. Almost 60 years after his death was Turing finally given a pardon. The tragedy of history has been built, and the lost lives can no longer be saved. All we can do today is encompass memory and honor of them. So next time we open our computers or use our mobile phones, hopefully, the name Alan Turing will come to mind, and his legacy will remain with us for many generations to come.
