The Alan Turing Centenary
 

That's right, 2012 is the Centennial of Alan Turing's Birth!

Not only was Turing one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th Century and helped to create computers as we know them today, he was car-free and an avid cyclist.

Alan Turing Centenary Site


That Strange Bicyclist, Alan Turing.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_urSQl6wUA5...turing+pic.bmp
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_urSQl6wUA5...;s+bicycle.bmp

Very interesting story, thanks for the link!

His approach to bicycle maintenance was unique to say the least.

On a related tangent, I was just reading an article about the annual Loebner Prize competition, where chat-bots compete with humans in a Turing Test, trying to amass the most votes for appearing human. A 'bot came close to passing the Turing Test a couple of years ago - was only one vote short.

A new test for AI: If a computer can independently repair Turing's bike in less time than it took Turing himself, then that computer is intelligent.

Great to celebrate his achievements. Too bad they weren't as well recognized during this brief lifetime.

They need to make a movie about this guy. It would be more interesting than A Beautiful Mind.

Yeah, James Bond meets A Beautiful Mind meets the Bicycle Thief meets Brokeback Mountain. :thumb:

:D

I'd watch it.

Alan Turing rode a single speed girls bike! LOL. I can't believe he rode that for 60 miles each day!



Arkansas: On a different subject, Columbus did not just give up and sailed home after the fourth voyage. He made it to South America where one of his ships was that was carrying the supplies was destroyed by the natives. He had no choice but to turn back when the remaining ships were run aground and all were shipwrecked on an island. Everyone was eventually recovered a year later.

However, to state that Columbus could have discovered the Pacific Ocean would have ment crossing Panama and without the Panama Canal built, what good would that have done?

Columbus was told by natives of the other ocean, and he sailed to the point where Balboa would start from when he discovered the Pacific. It's true that the Spanish never made much use of Balboa's discovery, perhaps because Balboa was very out of favor. But physically it wouldn't have been too difficult for the Spanish, having decimated the local natives, to create roads connecting the coasts and put ports on each side. It would have been easier and faster and safer than going around Cape Horn.

The point is that if Columbus really wanted to achieve his dream, discovering the Pacific would have been a major leap for him. It would have also made his reputation even more glorious(within his culture, it's well known that he was a jerk). But he stopped with the discovery close within his grasp and he failed to sieze it.

It's really a reminder to myself to not give up.

If it's like Turing, it will probably make a small robot to count the links and fudge the chain every X links, rather than go to the obvious solution of buying a new chain. :lol: