Tag Archive: Alan Turing


Turing imitates Erasmus

In 1950, celebrated WWII code breaker Alan Turing devised what he called an imitation game for a paper in which he asked ‘Can machines think?’ A modern day equivalent would be ‘Can politicians think?’ On the basis of the evidence of political ineptitude this year, the answer to that question is a resounding ‘NO’.

The latest example of political ignorance is the decision to pull of the EU Erasmus language exchange program by the UK (with the exception of Northern Ireland). Despite Boris Johnson’s assurance that the scheme was safe in Tory hands, this is one of the many negative aspects of Brexit. In celebrating ‘freedom’ from the European Union, the small island of Britain has suddenly become much smaller. Continue reading

imitation gameTHE IMITATION GAME directed by Morton Tyldum (UK, 2014)

This movie leaves me torn. On the one hand, I can see that it’s a tight and effective thriller with some great performances.

At the same time, I think that the writer and director missed a golden opportunity to set the record straight on a man who until recently was a forgotten hero.

Biopics inevitably bend the facts and this is fine when a story needs to be embellished to make it more interesting. A little added drama never hurt anyone. But in the case of Alan Turing, this kind of tweaking is unnecessary.

Why imply that he was blackmailed by a Russian spy when this never happened? Why suggest that his ‘abnormality’ was due to aspergers syndrome when this has not been proven? Why build up the relationship with a woman and sideline his homosexuality as if this was another of his personality flaws?

People who knew Turing describe him as eccentric, impatient, shy and kind. Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant in the title role, as is Alan Lawyher as young Turing, but while these performances capture the social ineptness of his character, the portrayals come close to representing him merely as a freak of nature. Continue reading