, FRS (icon ; 23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954), was an English mathematician
, logician, cryptanalyst, and computer scientist
. He was highly influential in the development of computer science
, providing a formalisation of the concepts of "algorithm
" and "computation" with the Turing machine
, which played a significant role in the creation of the modern computer. Turing is widely considered to be the father of computer science and artificial intelligence
. He was stockily built, had a high-pitched voice, and was talkative, witty, and somewhat donnish
.
During the Second World War
, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park
, Britain's codebreaking
centre.
A man provided with paper, pencil, and rubber, and subject to strict discipline, is in effect a Turing machine|universal machine.
The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer.
I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.
I am not very impressed with theological arguments whatever they may be used to support. Such arguments have often been found unsatisfactory in the past. In the time of Galileo Galilei|Galileo it was argued that the texts, "And the sun stood still... and hasted not to go down about a whole day" (Joshua x. 13) and "He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not move at any time" (Psalm cv. 5) were an adequate refutation of the Copernican theory.
We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.