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Author: njturing

Volunteer at the Turing Trust
20Sep
1 comment on “23 into 8: a problem in mathematics”

23 into 8: a problem in mathematics

Posted by njturingon September 20, 20211 Comment

Of course 23 is a prime number, and 8 is not, but 23 into 8 sounds like it would not be a proper thing to try in any circumstances. Still, anything for a challenge. 23 June was Alan Turing’s birthday…

Read More 23 into 8: a problem in mathematics

22Jun
0 comments on “Cash, Coins and Covid”

Cash, Coins and Covid

Posted by njturingon June 22, 2021Leave a comment

On Wednesday 23 June – Alan Turing’s birthday – there was to be a Celebration of his life and legacy, at the iconic Courthouse in Knutsford where he was famously tried in 1952. The plan was to talk about what…

Read More Cash, Coins and Covid

25Mar
1 comment on “Unveiling Alan Turing”

Unveiling Alan Turing

Posted by njturingon March 25, 2021March 24, 20211 Comment

Today the Bank of England ‘unveiled’ the new plastic £50 note which features Alan Turing. The new design is not just a celebration of the well-known achievements of Alan Turing but gives us all a chance to reappraise his legacy.…

Read More Unveiling Alan Turing

17Feb
0 comments on “Tea and chocs”

Tea and chocs

Posted by njturingon February 17, 2021Leave a comment

Today a big box from Hotel Chocolat arrived, to add some sweetness to lockdown. Hoorah. But the thing is, in all the course of many trips to Brussels during the last twenty years, one thing I have become rather fond…

Read More Tea and chocs

18Oct
0 comments on “The slow death of museum exhibits”

The slow death of museum exhibits

Posted by njturingon October 18, 2020Leave a comment

No, not another rant about the Coronavirus situation. Actually, a sparkle amid the gloom: the news that John Lennon’s piano is to be put on display at Strawberry Field in Liverpool. Apparently he bought it in 1970, and although it’s…

Read More The slow death of museum exhibits

25Jul
5 comments on “Of tool-boxes and ballot-boxes”

Of tool-boxes and ballot-boxes

Posted by njturingon July 25, 20205 Comments

My first lunch after lockdown took place in the attractive surroundings of the Ognisko Polskie restaurant in South Kensington. The sun was shining and the railways weren’t working, all of which signalled something close to a return to normal. The…

Read More Of tool-boxes and ballot-boxes

29Feb
0 comments on “Dermot Turing on tour”

Dermot Turing on tour

Posted by njturingon February 29, 2020Leave a comment

In the Oscar-winning movie The Imitation Game, code-breaker Alan Turing battles to master the problem of the German Enigma machine. But the real story begins in the bathroom of a Belgian hotel, where a French spymaster is photographing secret documents. A few months…

Read More Dermot Turing on tour

24Nov
1 comment on “Traveller’s tale”

Traveller’s tale

Posted by njturingon November 24, 20191 Comment

The French edition of X, Y and Z – the real story of how Enigma was broken was launched last month. Things are different in France: the weather is better, the bread is wonderful, and the story of Enigma is…

Read More Traveller’s tale

30Sep
0 comments on “What’s in a parvis in Paris?”

What’s in a parvis in Paris?

Posted by njturingon September 30, 2019Leave a comment

According to Collins-Robert (1978 edition) a ‘parvis’ is a square in front of a church. On Wednesday 25 September the ‘Parvis Alan Turing’ was officially dedicated in Paris, the result of a collaboration between the Mairie of the 13th Arrondissement…

Read More What’s in a parvis in Paris?

30Jul
3 comments on “Fake quotes”

Fake quotes

Posted by njturingon July 30, 20193 Comments

We all know about fake news, but only recently I discovered fake quotes. I was asked where Alan Turing’s famous quotation ‘Those who can imagine anything can create the impossible’ had come from. After a lot of digging, the answer…

Read More Fake quotes

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Button mage for school history projects

Upcoming events

24th September, 2021 "Reflections of Alan Turing: A Relative Story

14th October, 2021 Alan Turing's Patterns in Nature?

Resources for event organisers Button image

News and comment

  • 23 into 8: a problem in mathematics September 20, 2021
  • Cash, Coins and Covid June 22, 2021
  • Unveiling Alan Turing March 25, 2021
  • Tea and chocs February 17, 2021
  • The slow death of museum exhibits October 18, 2020

Reviews

'Strips away the encrusted hagiography that has developed around Alan Turing in recent years … a passionate argument for the lessons we should draw from his life and his extraordinary scientific achievements.' Robert Hannigan, Former Director of GCHQ. April 2021


'Fascinating and highly readable... My wife Rohini and I feel particularly grateful to have a special link to [Alan Turing] through our house in Coonoor .... where Alan's mother lived for many years.' Nanden Nilekani,Chairman and Co-Founder of Infosys. April 2021


'Essential reading for anyone who thinks they know the history of Alan Turing ... a significant reappraisal of his meaning for us today.' Dr Tilly Blyth, Head of Collections, Science Museum. April 2021


'Dermot Turing has written a great book filling out our picture of Second World War code-breaking. His prose crackles with energy and an appealing sense of humor, enhanced by dozens of photographs, many of which will be new even to devoted students of his subject.' Jonathan Beard, Michigan War Studies Review, November 2019


'Turing unearths a remarkable tale of intellect, bravery and camaraderie that reads like a nail-biting spy novel.' Joanne Baker, Nature, September 2018


'The anecdotes flow as Dermot warms to his theme. ‘Prof’ really is a cracking read and no engineer’s library is complete without it on their shelves.' Nick Smith, Engineering and Technology, November 2015


'For anyone seeking a more nuanced picture of the human side of Turing, however, this book makes a useful and sometimes poignant contribution.' Clare Mulley, History Today, February 2016

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