Britain's Greatest Codebreaker

[mrs_emma_peel]

Britain's Greatest Codebreaker
Channel 4 ... Monday 21st November 2011 ... 9.00-10.20pm

This drama-documentary records and charts the brilliance ... and the ultimate tragedy and destruction of one of the 20th century's greatest minds.

Alan Turing is the genius British mathematician who was instrumental in breaking the German Naval Enigma Code during World War II, arguably saving millions of lives. He was also the visionary scientist who gave birth to the computer age, pioneered artificial intelligence, and was the first to theorise the mathematical development of the modern digital computer. Turing is one of the great original thinkers of the 20th century ... who foresaw the digital world in which we now live.

Turing's colossal achievements went virtually completely unrecognised during his lifetime. Instead he ended up being treated as a common criminal, for being homosexual, at a time when this was a crime. In 1952, he was convicted of 'gross indecency' and was forced to undergo what was effectively chemical castration (female hormone injections) as an alternative to prison.

In the final 18 months of his short life, Turing visited a psychiatrist, Dr Franz Greenbaum, who tried to help him. This film brings Turing's ideas to life by dramatising this relationship and these sessions, based on historical records, Turing's writings, and accounts of those who knew him. The film includes the testimony of people who knew and remember Turing.

Contemporary experts from the world of technology and high science, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, bring Turing's exciting impact up to the present day, explaining why, in many ways, modern technology has only just begun to explore the potential of Turing's ideas.

Alan Turing is now generally regarded among the world's top scientists as being in the same super-elite class and category as ... Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin in the league table of scientific greats.

On 10th September, 2009 following an Internet campaign, Prime Minister, Gordon Brown made an official apology on behalf of the British Government for Alan Turing's appalling treatment after the war.

Trailer for the Channel 4 drama-documentary ... Britain's Greatest Codebreaker ...


In the mid-1980's I researched and wrote about the work of Alan Turing ... discovering for the first time the phenomenal work of this incredible, little-known genius ... this was an absolute and stunning revelation, yet I was so greatly saddened to learn of his tragic early death. What an immense scientist we lost.

Alan Turing, a true, extraordinary genius and virtuoso scientist of astonishing brilliance was driven into terrible depression, utter despair and an early death by the country he loved, and done so much to save.
On 7th June, 1954 Alan Turing committed suicide by cyanide poisoning ... he was just 41.
Emma

Britain's Greatest Codebreaker stars Ed Stoppard as Alan Turing and Henry Goodman as Dr Franz Greenbaum.

Sources: DigiGuide/Channel 4/Alan Turing.org.uk/Alan Turing.net/YouTube/Wikipedia/BBC4/BBC.co.uk/
The Scientific 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Scientists, Past and Present by John Galbraith Simmons

[jimw1]

Looks Fascinating thanks for the info Mrs peel

[Heinrich]

This should be worth watching.

[man-in -the-moon]

Looking forward to this.A pity the BBC don't repeat Breaking The Code starring Derek Jacobi.

[billy farmer]

I watched this Drama-Documentary last night (i always enjoy watching Documentaries about famous people and famous events from history), i found it to be a very interesting Drama-Documentary, but also rather sad, it was very sad to hear how Alan Turing (an absolute genius) was treated after the Second World War, he deserved far better, people living today owe a lot to men like Alan Turing, he played a very important part in helping to win the Second World War, just imagine what else Alan Turing might have achieved if he had lived, the world today might be very different.

[wadey]

Worth a look but the Police didn't target him, he was always going to the Police moaning about "Rough Trade" pinching things from his house

[billy farmer]

Here are the links to two sites which will be of interest to anyone interested in learning more about Alan Turing - Alan Turing - Home Page AlanTuring.net

[batman]

I thought the programme was top notch. Congatulations to all concerned.

[cully]

A disgrace that some way could not have been found, by the great and the good, to protect him from the consequences of his actions.

I remember being told that, in the 1960s, a very famous actor (no names, no pack drill) was constantly being picked trying to pick up young men in the Leicester Square gents. The cops just drove him home and told him not to do it again. Such was his fame and the fact that he was liked and respected by all and sundry.

Couldn't something similar have been arranged for a person whose work saved countless number of Allied lived during the War??

[Harbottle]

Such a tragic waste, quite staggering really that a man that did so much for this country especially in its darkest days was treated so shabbily.

[waldo_lydecker]

Apparently he was at Sherborne with John Le Mesurier.

[Steve Crook]

I remember being told that, in the 1960s, a very famous actor (no names, no pack drill) was constantly being picked trying to pick up young men in the Leicester Square gents. The cops just drove him home and told him not to do it again. Such was his fame and the fact that he was liked and respected by all and sundry.

Such was the difference between the 1950s and 60s

Steve

[Steve Crook]

Worth a look but the Police didn't target him, he was always going to the Police moaning about "Rough Trade" pinching things from his house

That did make it hard for the authorities to ignore his breaking the law

Steve

[Heinrich]

Such a tragic waste, quite staggering really that a man that did so much for this country especially in its darkest days was treated so shabbily.

"Thousands of people have come together to demand justice for Alan Turing and recognition of the appalling way he was treated. While Turing was dealt with under the law of the time and we can't put the clock back, his treatment was of course utterly unfair and I am pleased to have the chance to say how deeply sorry I and we all are for what happened to him ... So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan's work I am very proud to say: we're sorry, you deserved so much better."
(Prime Minister Gordon Brown - 10 September 2009)

[billy farmer]

A clip from a rare Documentary (which i don't think i have ever seen).

[Maurice]

BRITAIN'S GREATEST CODEBREAKER

The programme was well-received but on Channel 4, so a DVD is unlikely
Might someone have a DVDR?

Thanks, Billy, for the useful links in November (22nd)

[moonfleet]

I'm currently reading this book from a nice an accessible collection Le Monde est Mathématique, there are short bio(s) of pionners, that's how I learned about Alan Turing, also there was a radio documentary last Saturday dedicated to him... It was said that the Apple logo might have been inspired by his tragical death, because of the multicolors (the gay flag) and because he bitted an apple with cyanide to suicide (he saw Disney's Snow White multiple times)

[Steve Crook]

It was said that the Apple logo might have been inspired by his tragical death, because of the multicolors (the gay flag) and that he bitted an apple with cyanide to suicide.

It has been said ... but Apple deny any connection. They say it's coincidence

Steve

[moonfleet]

It has been said ... but Apple deny any connection. They say it's coincidence

Steve

Of course, some unconscious hommage for sure

[Steve Crook]

Of course, some unconscious hommage for sure

Or maybe it's just coincidence

Apple Inc's first logo showed Isaac Newton sitting under the apple tree. The coloured logo isn't really in the colours of the LGBT Rainbow flag, it was just meant to show that the Apple computers worked in colour when most other home computers were monochrome

See Interview with Rob Janoff, designer of the Apple logo

Steve