Today is Alan Turing‘s 100th birthday. While any computer specialist is normally due to know him, thanks to Google I just came to discover his existence and who hid behind the codebreaking of Enigma messages during the World War II. .
Among articles the one from the french journal “Le Monde” who recounts how the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (where future french top scientists learn) paid tribute to him : Alan Turing was able to conceptualize a very simple and universal model of calculation; in Lyon, students made this concept come true by assembling little danish briks made of molded plastic, whose shape is also very simple (at least at the beginning) and which have for long spread throughout the world.
Turing’s concept turned into a Lego machine appeared to me as very representative of a part what Talentdifferent wants to promote : from simplicity can emerge universality and also deep changes.
… Turing’s life is also (alas)Â a rather good example of what a gifted one can live and face, even if benefitting from a public recognition.
Here is a little video about the Turing machine assembled in Lego. English subtitles provided.
Bonjour!
J’ai lu il y a quelques annees de cela un excellent livre sur Alan Turing: “The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer”. C’est une biographie superbe d’un etre non seulement genial, mais aussi unique. Je recommande ce livre a tout curieux de l’informatique, de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, de l’Angleterre des annees 40-50,… Un merveilleux ouvrage.
Tout “simplement” génial !!!
Merci pour cette vidéo 🙂
Merci Cécile !