Bloody and long, World War II killed three percent of the world’s population. It was a cesspool of death, evil, destruction and PTSD, representing the worst of humanity. Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, was relentless. “The firepower of a German infantry division far exceeded that of a French, British, or Polish division (Britannica).” The allied forces struggled against Germany, a struggle that was only worsened by the Enigma machine. “During World War II, the British interpreted…encrypted German military transmissions, Enigma, broadcast in morse code…(Britannica).” Cracking the Enigma code was the key to winning this war, however all efforts to undermine the Enigma had been futile. Until Alan Turing. He was a “mathematician and logician who made major contributions to mathematics, cryptanalysis, logic, computer science, artificial intelligence, and artificial life”(Britannica). A man who also contributed greatly to his government, only to be repaid by death.
Alan Turing was born on June 23, 1912. His high intellect was obvious at a young age, with many of his teachers recognizing it. He was particularly interested in math and science. During his time in college, he proved many theories including the central limit theorem and Decision Problem (Entscheidungsproblem). After attending University of Cambridge, he studied at University of Princeton for mathematics and cryptology, getting his PhD. He then returned to Cambridge, after being accepted into the Government Code and Cypher breaking organization. This organization was then renamed and moved to Bletchley Park, where Turing would make history.
Alan Turing died on June 7, 1954, at the age of 41. The years before his death will have impacted multiple things, saving and improving the lives of millions. A quote from Churchill says, “The enemy is still proud and powerful. He is hard to get at. He still possesses enormous armies, vast resources, and invaluable strategic territories…No one can tell what new complications and perils might arise in four or five more years of war…”(“World War 2 Quotes”). Some historians believed Turing’s efforts to crack the Enigma code shortened the war in Europe, by as many as two to four years(Copeland, par. 22). The necessity of stopping the war was evident.
Subduing Germany was no easy feat, and Turing was able to assist with insufficient resources (Britannica). At Bletchley Park, Turing created the Bombe; a machine that helped the code-breakers decrypt the Enigma messages. Before the Bombe, Turing and his team had to rely on a type of code-breaking technique called Turingey, named after Turing. Turingey was a process of complicated guessing and checking. It was slow, tiring and only mildly effective. The introduction of the Bombe allowed the team to almost triple how many messages they were decoding; going from 39,000 to 84,000 enigma messages a month.
Britain is fortunate enough to have one of the lower fatality counts of WWII, thanks to Turing’s heroic actions. He worked long hours relentlessly to solve the code. His intellectual capability and hardworking mindset resulted in thousands of British lives saved. Churchill acknowledges this saying, “Turing made the single biggest contribution to the war effort”. Turing’s selfless sacrifices to his people show how heroic he really is.
Following his departure from Bletchley Park, Turing continued to explore his previous research. Prior to Bletchley, Alan Turing was known for his proof of the Decision Problem (Entscheidungsproblem). The Decision Problem is a theory that asks if there are situations where you cannot have an algorithm determine if that conclusion is true or false. Turing answered yes, and proved his answer using his “Turing Machines”. But he didn’t stop there. Using prior knowledge and new information he gained from Bletchley Park, Turing created a design called the Automatic Computing Engine(ACE). The ACE and the “Turing Machines” would pave the way for modern computers in the future.
“I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think?’”. Turing answered his own question with the Turing Test. The Turing Test, also called the imitation game, tests the ability to distinguish between a human and a computer. Because of this test, he is generally regarded as the pioneer of artificial intelligence. Turing was definitely a man ahead of his time, as his test was passed 64 years later by, a computer program named Eugene.
Computers have revolutionized our society. Our jobs, health, and everyday activities are influenced by computers. Information can now be transmitted quicker than before, even travelling across the world within seconds. Advancements in healthcare, education, sciences, etc. have risen exponentially, thanks to computers. Alan Turing dedicated his life to creating something great, and has. Steve Wozniak, Apple CEO, even pays homage, saying “Turing came up with what we know about computers today.” A hero is someone who does something great for the world, and Alan Turing accomplished that.
Although Turing was focused and dedicated to his work, he was struggling with individual issues; homosexuality. His homosexuality was something kept secret in his semi-public life, until 1952, when his truth was being revealed. March of that year, Alan Turing pleaded guilty, and was convicted of gross indecency with a male person. In January of that same year, Turing called the police about a robbery at his home, not realising the man he had a sexual relationship with had committed the crime. Police soon realized the situation and from then on, his life became a downward spiral. Turing’s punishment was chemical castration. Chemical castration is “The administration of a drug to bring about a marked reduction in the body's production of androgens and especially testosterone… Chemical castration may be used to reduce the sexual urges of sex offenders…”(Merriam-Webster). Eventually, due to the pain the treatment caused him, he commited suicide by cyanide poisoning.
In the end, Turing took his life, but that does not make him less of a hero. It allows us to look back on the past thoughtfully, and think of the mistakes of our governments. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said “On behalf of the British Government and all those who live freely thanks to Alan's work…we're sorry – you deserved so much better. Alan and the many thousands of other gay men who were convicted… under homophobic laws were treated terribly.” Alan Turing’s circumstances allow us to reflect. His heroic legacy continues to inspire us to make a difference, ourselves.
The accomplishments of Alan Turing are surrounding you on a daily basis; your phone, tablets, computers are all tied back to him, the man who paved the way. Correction, the gay man who paved the way. A gay man who revolutionized the way we interact with others today, yet died for the most primitive crime. Love. He had the strength of a warrior, inspiring many for years to come. He was truly ruly heroic, in every sense of the word.