OK, just got done watching The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, about his work in cracking the enigma machine.
Couple of things real quick -- this is NOT a thread about homosexuality. That was obviously a major point of the film, and even if PARTLY true, the way Turing was treated was horrible. I'm going to ask that we skip that part - this is NOT a thread about homosexuality. Got that?
The problem is that I had done a college paper a number of years ago on this, and was fascinated by the work the Polish mathematicians had done, and Alan Turing wasn't in the picture. Could well be because he was a homosexual, I don't know, but that's for another thread. The fact is that I was left with the impression that the Poles were the brains behind cracking enigma.
Obviously, Turing played a MAJOR role in cracking enigma, and it was fascinating watching how that all played out.
So, in doing some factchecking, I find...
Polish codebreakers 'cracked Enigma before Alan Turing
Knowing how Hollywood likes to embellish certain themes, I'm really curious about the truth.
Would the Poles have cracked Enigma without Turing?
Would Turing have cracked Enigma without the Poles?
Did it have to be a joint effort?
Again - NOT a thread about homosexuality - apparently, Turing was one, was treated very badly, and ended up committing suicide. I'm extremely sad about that.
Couple of things real quick -- this is NOT a thread about homosexuality. That was obviously a major point of the film, and even if PARTLY true, the way Turing was treated was horrible. I'm going to ask that we skip that part - this is NOT a thread about homosexuality. Got that?
The problem is that I had done a college paper a number of years ago on this, and was fascinated by the work the Polish mathematicians had done, and Alan Turing wasn't in the picture. Could well be because he was a homosexual, I don't know, but that's for another thread. The fact is that I was left with the impression that the Poles were the brains behind cracking enigma.
Obviously, Turing played a MAJOR role in cracking enigma, and it was fascinating watching how that all played out.
So, in doing some factchecking, I find...
Polish codebreakers 'cracked Enigma before Alan Turing
Knowing how Hollywood likes to embellish certain themes, I'm really curious about the truth.
Would the Poles have cracked Enigma without Turing?
Would Turing have cracked Enigma without the Poles?
Did it have to be a joint effort?
Again - NOT a thread about homosexuality - apparently, Turing was one, was treated very badly, and ended up committing suicide. I'm extremely sad about that.
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