Many people in the comments seem not to understand the relevance of Turing's sexuality to his legacy. He was certainly one of the greatest minds of his time, and his methods for cracking the Enigma Code were crucial in winning WWII. Despite this heroic contribution, when it was found that he was homosexual (which he, in his child-like innocence, foolishly confessed) the powers that be feared that his sexuality would make him more prone to divulging secrets to the soviets, apparently making the idiotic assumption that he would be prone to finding himself in a romantic conflict of interest with some male foreign spy. He was never the same after his chemical castration, and it was not long after that he committed suicide, almost certainly as a result of the cocktail of hormones forcibly injected daily. Turing's story is a powerful and moving example of how homophobia and intolerance can blind people to every positive trait concerning someone's character, intellect, and value to society, and reduce the perception of the person to simply "abnormal" or even "sick." The hate and misunderstanding that led to Turing's death robbed both a great genius of his identity, and the rest of us of untold years of scientific progress.
Yes, this is a good comment and needs to be upvoted more. Many people in this comment thread also appear to be complete homophobes, the comments are basically "I'm okay with Alan Turing being gay but why do we have to ACKNOWLEDGE he's gay? Why can't we just ignore everything bad that was done to him specifically because he was gay and pretend nothing terrible has ever happened to gay people for their sexual orientation." Yeah while we're at it why don't we just pretend he was straight and give him a wife in the movie and just pretend gay people don't exist and don't contribute anything to society!
If you help save millions of lives that achivement should be in absolut focus. Not the fact that you struggled with intolerance, even if that is an important part of the story. Turnings life is tragic but Im annoyed by how often figures like him gets raised as symbols of social injustice. Any modern human being with half a brain does not need to be educated in this.
I watched the movie with my friend 3 weeks ago. It was truly fascinating and a tear-jerking movie. But what struck me the most was the fact that he saved millions of lives and made WWII 2-4 years shorter and he gets death as a reward.... Wow! What a world we live in!
Richard A I know he wasn't the only code breaker. There even was a girl with them who he was supposed to get married to, but didn't. But without his machine, they could only try to break one code each day. And there was no gurantee they would be successful. But his machine could break thousands of code correctly and without any time.
To all those that complain about his sexuality and death being over-emphasised. There are many ingenious individuals you could make a movie about; Einstein, Newton, Tyco Brahe or even non-Western thinkers like Ibn Sina or Confucius. All these people lead amazing lives (especially Brahe) but Turing stands out because not only was a genius and a war hero but he was also persecuted for something many people worldwide suffer for today. I'm not saying that his intellectual achievements alone aren't movie-worthy, just that the tragedy he suffered in his personal life is too poignant today to just be ignored. Film is at its best when it critiques the world as well as portraying it.
Einstein, and millions of others weren't persecuted then AND NOW IN EUROPE for being Jewish? Oh, yea well thats different right, I mean Jews only died and had their property stolen as well as being physically attacked even in America in those days. Gays were attacked and some even killed but not even in the same number universe as you would be in thosedays in europe and even America.
getsmart Uh, it isn't a competition. Both groups have suffered a lot. Tchaikovsky kill himself because he was gay. The only reasons gays have been killed less is because they could hide who they were. It's a lot harder to hide being Jewish.
uhh, yes it's not a competition when it comes to abuse but the discussion here was who was movie WORTHY thereby making it a competition. ALSO, its many times easier to hide being Jewish than GAY but the effort is not put forth because like gays NEITHER has ANYTHING to HIDE. LASTLY, we are over THE biologically gay battering issue, this ONLY is trite to represent at this POINT. we have not dealt with the fact THAT biologically gay is not normal and shouldn't ve TREATED as such, for example with respect to being parents any more THAN a handicapped airplane pilot probably shouldn't be flying passenger jets on a Dailey basis.
I absolutely ADORE the movie... It was incredible and speaks to me in many ways. It didn't make it all about him sexuality, but did touch on it because it was something that changed his life, quality of life, and his perspective, and it perfectly showed what it's like to be an outsider, and what it's like to think literally. The part where his best friend introduced him to cryptography was amazing. I have struggled with many of these things, and seeing a story about Alan Turing is Mainstream Media is just so amazing and it makes me feel like people like me are getting more and more accepted every day.
Actually, WW2 like all other wars was a regular scam to kill ppl. Like usual - ppl of all nations against elite of all nations. And so was probably the scam of Turing. In the age of KobidSkam, maybe you now understand what im talking about and would not label me as a lunatic. If you do - you are so lost.
Anyone who thinks the movie focuses too much on his sexuality rather than his accomplishments has not seen the movie. I _have_ seen it. It made me feel like I was there at Bletchley Park, facing an impossible problem, tearing my hair out trying to solve it, racing against the clock, and finally finding a clever solution in a flash of insight. The conflict over his sexuality is drama added _on top of_ the story the movie is really about. (Which, obviously, is exactly how it was in real life -- his genius and his efforts came first, _then_ came people's reaction to his sexuality, _then_ came his suffering.) Some friendly advice that might even make you a better person: learn not to judge something by what the people who created it say about it. See it for yourself before judging it.
Perhaps Turing is well known to those who are interested in science and science-related topics, but to the general public he is largely unknown. I'm glad that a movie is being made to highlight his amazing accomplishments, and the tragedy that cut his life short.
I did my senior project on Turing patterns such as the tiger stripes mentioned in the video. Modern techniques allow us to actually simulate this patterning, but to think that he conceived of this all during the infancy of computation. As an aspiring gay mathematician, his story is extremely inspirational, and it's one that needs to be told for all the world to hear.
Since this interview was posted before the movie came out, I think most of them are annoyed because they think the film is all about how hard it was to be a gay man during that time, when what they want to see is Geniuses Doing Maths. But really, it's mostly the second thing, so they should all chillax.
I actually thought it didn't place much emphasis on his sexuality. The central conflict of the movie was him not getting along with coworkers due to him being eccentric, which felt forced and didn't make much sense (he had the power to fire everyone and did so already with a few, why would he put up with them?) It could have been better if the central conflict was solving the enigma while being prejudiced as a homosexual. Maybe have a turning point scene where he gains some success in cracking the code but accidentally reveals his sexuality and everyone turns on him and nothing can go back to the way it used to be. Beautiful Mind does a great job showing both the genius and the struggles of the main character (although what is with Eureka moments always happening in bars?)
The guy on the right really struck a nerve with me. Every single comment and answer he gave was related to the struggles Turing faced by being gay. Honestly, who gives a fuck? The importance of Turing's homosexuality pales in comparison to the impact his work had on thousands, nay millions of lives. Celebrate the man, not what he fucks. P.S. I do not have a problem with gay people. I have a problem with people that think being gay is of more importance than the achievements of such a great figure as Turing.
I agree, to be honest. Focus on the science, although the discrimination he faced was horrible, we should celebrate what he did and I think he would want that.
The problem is the fact that he was gay is in direct relation to his scientific achievements. He killed himself because of what happened to him because of his sexuality. Thus, ending whatever else he could invent, especially since computer age was just starting.
Perhaps it is important to know why the british nation decided that the way to show gratitude and celebrate him, was to castrate the man and make his life hell until he had the decency of killing himself...
Stephen Scanlon _"I have a problem with people that think being gay is of more importance than the achievements of such a great figure as Turing."_ Nobody here, not even "the guy on the right" even remotely suggested that, explicitly nor implicitly. _"Every single comment and answer he gave was related to the struggles Turing faced by being gay."_ Incorrect.
A. Gil Completely agree. It is an important message to convey that ones sexuality has no impact on ones significance to the betterment of humanity. Exactly why every single comment should not be centralised around it. Mention it, but don't paint a great man as a"discriminated gay", a better, more accurate message would be to show Turing as the "discriminated life saver and intellectual" that he was.
I live in the US and and The Imitation Game came out at my local theater at the end of November, so I'm not really sure whats going on. Maybe it was only a limited release?
My school had a screening of the Imitation Game a couple of days ago, and I went and it was ... I can't describe how amazing and heart-wrenching and stuff that it was. Like, I went through the entire thing thinking Benedict Cumberbatch just doesn't look ANYTHING like Turing, but despite that, his performance was incredibly moving and compelling, and basically *GO WATCH THIS MOVIE IT IS AMAZING*
pavloveva That's true. It's just that usually I'm bad enough at distinguishing faces that it wouldn't bother me, and after all he is the main character.
Despite all the arguments in the comments i would only like to say that "The Imitation Game" is a beautiful movie about a beautiful person. He will always live through his work. And as i am typing this comment on my mobile, it is learning my vocab and making suggestions simultaneously. Machines are learning faster than ever Alan. RIP
Alan Turing was an extraordinary man that had to suffer so much in a time of intolerance. The imitation game is an exceptional film it's very entertaining and surprisingly funny. I would highly recommended it.
I've been waiting for this film since June 2014...I'M SO PROUD OF EVERYONE INVOLVED. I'm so proud of Alan and the recognition he's finally getting. This is amazing!!!
Having a brilliant mind in a society that does not accept you can easily backfire and send a man on a downward spiral... We are lucky that Turing had the mental fortitude to not only take command of his mind but use it for good. A lesser man could have easily spiraled out into depression, alcoholism, etc. Any intelligent person struggling with themselves and society can learn a lot from this man.
Sosososo happy about this video. I've not seen the movie, but I know I'd love it so much if I saw it. I'm very personally inspired by Allen Turing. Sometimes I cry when I think about him, to be honest.
We let Turing down, he was a war hero, he was a genius, he was the father of computing and Britain let him down, he was punished for his sexuality and it lead to his death. I am ashamed that it took until 2013 to grant him pardon. He was an amazing man and he deserves to be recognised.
As the creators stated, this is NOT a documentary, but it is phenomenologically correct. To get the accurate story, read Hodge's biography, which appeared ~1980 and was cited in the credits (to my surprise). BTW As a mathematician and computer geek, there were times when I was the only one laughing in the theater.
I watched this film the other day and it blew my mind. It was a real eye opener. I didn't know anything about enigma or how the Second World War ended and it was amazing. When I got home I started researching, I really wanna know more, I might even do a project on it. Also, the acting was amazing. I recommend this film to everyone and it is one of my all time favourites.
when will we see a Nikola Tesla movie, I personally see Turing and Tesla to be intellectual equals, in their respective fields of course, and I think a film about Tesla's life and work could be made very compelling by the fact that he too was a bit of an outsider in society, due to his eccentricities, but still with a razor sharp mind.
It would certainly be controversial, because he had some fucked up ideologies. He believed that anyone who didn't pass a certain IQ threshold should be sterilized and prevented from passing on their Genes.
Tesla was crazy, and not actually tragic. He died alone, but not lonely. He didn't want any relationships because it would interfere with his work. And the fact that he was crazy might not be received well by some members of the public. He was smart, but not a good movie subject.
I first heard about Turing when I borrowed a book on World War II from the school library in Year 7. Since then, Turing has become a very personal and relatable hero of mine. I should point out at this point that I am not gay, but I have an uncle who is, and he is easily one of the nicest, kindest, most gentle and most genuine people I know. I also have Asperger's Syndrome, and I was intensely bullied as a child for being intelligent and not fitting in with my classmates. If it wasn't for a few close friends, my family, my dogs and the desire to emulate great people from throughout history, I would be either dead or in a psych ward right now. Turing saved my life as a teenager, and as an adult who has made it to the third year of undergrad studies at University, I owe Turing my life and my sanity. Turing, you made the modern world what it is today. You were the greatest mathematician since Isaac Newton, and just because you were different, you were tortured to the point you took your own life by the government of the country you had saved from bring wiped off the face of the earth by one of the most evil men known to the human race. I know it's 61 years too late, but Dr. Alan Matheson Turing, I am truly, truly sorry for what they did to you, and I hope that you have some measure of peace and happiness now. I hope that you have been reunited with your childhood love, Christopher Moorecombe (not sure if I spelt that correctly), and that you can know that the modern world owes you it's existence. Atraxus Wraithe
I just think this man is absolutely extrodinary. If you haven't already seen the movie, I strongly recommend it. His life was so full of struggle and yet he did something that completely changed the outcome of WWII. "Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine."
I just watched the film and really enjoyed it. I loved the way both cumberbatch and the filmmakers created a delicate balance between turnings personal life and his scientific research.
The imitation game came out a few weeks ago here in England and it's absolutely incredible. Please please please watch it, it's insanely compelling and just wonderfully interesting.
My University has a statue of Alan Turing which I've always loved :D he disappeared for a while a couple of weeks ago but he's back now. Love Alan Turing :D
German military texts enciphered on the Enigma machine were first broken by the Polish Cipher Bureau, beginning in December 1932. This success was a result of efforts by three Polish cryptologists, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, working for Polish military intelligence. Give the historical facts some justice!
"Ultra [the British Enigma-decryption operation] would never have gotten off the ground if we had not learned from the Poles, in the nick of time, the details both of the German military... Enigma machine, and of the operating procedures that were in use." There are so many injustices against the Polish people and it never ends.
Hedonophobia It was the same machine but with one more rotor added. How does giving the Polish team credit detract from Turing's accomplishment? Not giving the Polish credit detracts from their accomplishment. If it were not for the French spy who brought info to the Polish team the Polish would not have gotten as far as they did. Likewise for Turing.
Martin Lynx Well, yeah, give credit to the Poles. Buit as you said, Turing's achievements are great aswell: The one dial they added to the Enigma made the code _much_ harder to break. Also, he didn't only crack the Enigma but he also invented the Turing machine and thus the modern computer, so he was basically the first one to study informatics even before computers existed. Using his theoretical Turing machine, he also discovered the Halting Problem and thus started the mathematical field of decidability and computability. (He basically showed that there are things that are impossible to compute using maths).
***** Don't forget Tommy Flowers, who built the Colossus computer, the world's first electronic programmable computer, and thus put Turing's theoretical stuff into practice, while breaking the much harder Lorentz ciphers.
This is the first time I've heard of The Imitation Game and I'm immediately invested. I almost never go to movies, but I'll probably go see this one. Thanks SciShow :)
The Imitation Game didn't do Alan Turing justice, in my opinion the movie did a good job making a well constructing and "engaging" the audience by making an exciting movie. However, this movie was unbelievably inaccurate about Alan and his life. For example, Pat Green* (*in The Imitation Game known as Joan Clarke played by Keira Knightley), was already working at Bletchley. If you were to read his biography "Alan Turning: The Enigma", you would see how poor of a job the movie did to the portrayal of his work at Bletchley. I saw a theatre production called "Breaking the Code" and it did such an amazing job accurately telling his story. One more thing, I was also disappointed the movie focussed so little on the events that took place before and after the war. About his social struggles when it came to facing judgment by the British government for being gay (although he was no 'gay right activist' by any means). Anyways, just thought I'd share my thoughts.
I really like where cinema has gone in the past several months. We have the humanist-themed Interstellar, with its attention to scientific detail. Then we have Theory of Everything, and its celebration of both science and Stephen Hawking. Now The Imitation Game, with scientist Alan Turing as the main character. Yay science!
Alan Turing is a personal hero, and I wish I had known about him sooner. I've had a passion for science since I was in kindergarten. When I was at intermediate school I realised that I'm gay. I was young, and not very well educated in MOGAI (Marginalised Orientations, Genders, and Intersex. I use this because it's more inclusive than LGBTQIA..., and doesn't have the derogatory connotations that come woth Queer) topics. The only exposure to gay men I had were the 1 dimensional "gay best friend" characters, or flamboyant performers. I didn't want to become those people. I wanted to study and learn, and not be reduced someone's puppylike fashion accessory. I tried to suppress my sexual orientation. I thought that being gay meant being camp. When I failed to convince myself or others that I was straight, I tried to avoid my "fabulous" fate by more extreme means. It wasn't long after my first and only serious suicide attempt that I discovered Alan Turing. I now had a person to look up to. A man who was gay, and a scientist! Somehow I had convinced myself such a thing was impossible. There is not enough representation of fleshed out MOGAI characters on screen, and especially not in STEM roles. I needed to know about Alan Turing. If I had known then, I may not have attempted to end my life. Alan Turing is a hero for me, and his sexual orientation is what makes his contributions to science and technology important in my view.
The annotation at 0:20 is broken, it leads to /my_videos_annotate?annotation_id=annotation_2360696371&feature=iv&src_vid=ODAA5Euc_20&v=ODAA5Euc_20&video_referrer=watch i.e. the link to edit that annotation.
A true genious that changed the world. Imagine if he had had another 10 years, or 20, to work.... Imagine where we could be. (Hat off) Mr. Turing, for all the lifes you saved by shortening the war, by medical cures made possible by the raw processing power of computers, by new friends and aqueintances we now can make daily across the world... We are forever in your debt.
Still, the fact that he in many ways was instrumental in securing the victory for the allied forces did not prevent him from being bullied to suicide by the very country he helped remain independent. Just because he was gay. It's one of the most disgusting and sad stories I can think of.
Winston Churchill was known to have said that Turing was (to him) the one who contributed the most to winning the war. Without being able to crack the Enigma code supply ships wouldn't have been able to effectively avoid the German blockade ships, cutting off rations to the UK which could very well have brought a famine that would have greatly weakened the British forces that acted as the frontline vanguard against the German forces.
So much arguing about Turing's sexuality and how it shouldn't be a major point in the film. That they shouldn't make such a big deal out of it. I think that Turing's struggles are what this film seems to be about. Being a gay man in his time was illegal. That alone is a HUGE struggle. It was who he was that had to be hidden. What a dumb thing to argue about.
Heh, I've seen The Imitation Game in cinema a week and a half ago (and it premiered at least a week before *that*). I didn't know it got released in the States so much later than in the UK! Very interesting interview, so thanks for sharing it! :)
Hm. My cousin is coming down to visit on Christmas and the day after. He mentioned taking me out to a movie on him. I was having trouble deciding whether I wanted to see Night At The Museum 3, Hunger Games 3, or Big Hero 6. Now I can just add the Imitation Game to my list of "what do I seeeeeee?!!!"
Malachi Quinn Hm...only problem is that I think I'm the only one I know who would be interested, and I very much hate seeing movies alone. I don't know. I'll think about it.
Yeah. Might be a problem, watching alone. If you could persuade someone to go, I'm sure they'd be entertained, it's not exactly deep in scientific jargon. It's aimed at everyone.
Turing invented the computer and saved some lives during the WWII and because of his homosexuality he was poisoned to sterilize him until he committed suicide. I've read that the film doesn't even emphasize these parts of his life and instead of embracing his otherness (Turing was also autistic) it is a feel good movie for the "normals" out there.
Have you seen it? I wouldn't describe it as a "feel good movie" by any means. His differences are made very clear, and while the film is focused primarily on the the actual War years, the main story is placed solidly within the context of his early life as an outsider and the terrible way his life ended. I'm sure it's not the most accurate biopic that exists, but I did think it was well made.
No I have not and I probably will not. Yeah, I'm sure it is well made. But societys rejection seems to be a major part of Turings life and since the film doesn't seem to emphasize that enough I am not thrilled to see it anytime soon.
Yes- these guys are very switched on to the human condition. I think that if you appreciate intelligence then then it says something about your own intelligence. IE: If appreciate intelligence then,, by definition, you are intelligent. Oh- and what I get from these guys- another mark of true intelligence, is the ability to make the most abstract things understandable to others. So, much respect. Shutting up now...
Hi Scishow, I have a um well kind of a challenge for Hank. First hank obviously must have learned quite a bit from being on scishow. So I wanna know in another video is does he believe in a god or some sort of life form that has unlimited power and energy-God basically. So it would be great if you could do that please.
I understand the panic described in their eyes. My teacher just introduced the Turing machine to us in class. Ah, the universal machine. How I wish I understand it better. As I learn more about Turing machines, it is amazing that he came up with these ideas, yet at the same time I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like the Turing machine questions on the final. Now, I can't wait for things to calm down, and for the movie to come out on disk.
Uh.................. the link in the video to Great Minds: Alan Turing at 00:15 is a link to edit the annotations of something I don't have permissions to.
(links at the end, to your other 2 shows, first one is working, 2nd one, great minds, Alan T... redirects to editing. I was gonna watch that 2nd one, khehe)
I really hope this movie is good and does well. Turing has been a hero of mine for a long time and it would be nice to have some modern recognition for the man. I just hope they didn't try to spice it up with bullshit. The truth was amazing and tragic enough. Definitely on my watch list.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Many people in the comments seem not to understand the relevance of Turing's sexuality to his legacy. He was certainly one of the greatest minds of his time, and his methods for cracking the Enigma Code were crucial in winning WWII. Despite this heroic contribution, when it was found that he was homosexual (which he, in his child-like innocence, foolishly confessed) the powers that be feared that his sexuality would make him more prone to divulging secrets to the soviets, apparently making the idiotic assumption that he would be prone to finding himself in a romantic conflict of interest with some male foreign spy. He was never the same after his chemical castration, and it was not long after that he committed suicide, almost certainly as a result of the cocktail of hormones forcibly injected daily.
Turing's story is a powerful and moving example of how homophobia and intolerance can blind people to every positive trait concerning someone's character, intellect, and value to society, and reduce the perception of the person to simply "abnormal" or even "sick." The hate and misunderstanding that led to Turing's death robbed both a great genius of his identity, and the rest of us of untold years of scientific progress.
Where are this man's likes? I have only 1 to give.
Yes, this is a good comment and needs to be upvoted more. Many people in this comment thread also appear to be complete homophobes, the comments are basically "I'm okay with Alan Turing being gay but why do we have to ACKNOWLEDGE he's gay? Why can't we just ignore everything bad that was done to him specifically because he was gay and pretend nothing terrible has ever happened to gay people for their sexual orientation." Yeah while we're at it why don't we just pretend he was straight and give him a wife in the movie and just pretend gay people don't exist and don't contribute anything to society!
Max Spiegel Excellent comment sir.
Charles Belton Too much soy can do that too. ^_^
If you help save millions of lives that achivement should be in absolut focus. Not the fact that you struggled with intolerance, even if that is an important part of the story.
Turnings life is tragic but Im annoyed by how often figures like him gets raised as symbols of social injustice.
Any modern human being with half a brain does not need to be educated in this.
I watched the movie with my friend 3 weeks ago. It was truly fascinating and a tear-jerking movie. But what struck me the most was the fact that he saved millions of lives and made WWII 2-4 years shorter and he gets death as a reward....
Wow! What a world we live in!
" and made WWII 2-4 years shorter"
That is nonsens..Russians would be in Berlin in 1945 no matter if he braked the code or not..
dzonikg28 Sources: Call of duty world at war.
Typical, the straight man in the trenches getting dirty send killed, and this guy.... In the office.. Or closet?
soulantea He was not the only code breaker, and the rest were straight. Would you have preferred Turing wasting his time digging trenches?
Richard A I know he wasn't the only code breaker. There even was a girl with them who he was supposed to get married to, but didn't. But without his machine, they could only try to break one code each day. And there was no gurantee they would be successful. But his machine could break thousands of code correctly and without any time.
To all those that complain about his sexuality and death being over-emphasised.
There are many ingenious individuals you could make a movie about; Einstein, Newton, Tyco Brahe or even non-Western thinkers like Ibn Sina or Confucius. All these people lead amazing lives (especially Brahe) but Turing stands out because not only was a genius and a war hero but he was also persecuted for something many people worldwide suffer for today.
I'm not saying that his intellectual achievements alone aren't movie-worthy, just that the tragedy he suffered in his personal life is too poignant today to just be ignored.
Film is at its best when it critiques the world as well as portraying it.
I would watch the crap out of a Brahe film, if only for the drunk moose scene.
Einstein, and millions of others weren't persecuted then AND NOW IN EUROPE for being Jewish? Oh, yea well thats different right, I mean Jews only died and had their property stolen as well as being physically attacked even in America in those days. Gays were attacked and some even killed but not even in the same number universe as you would be in thosedays in europe and even America.
getsmart Uh, it isn't a competition. Both groups have suffered a lot. Tchaikovsky kill himself because he was gay. The only reasons gays have been killed less is because they could hide who they were. It's a lot harder to hide being Jewish.
uhh, yes it's not a competition when it comes to abuse but the discussion here was who was movie WORTHY thereby making it a competition. ALSO, its many times easier to hide being Jewish than GAY but the effort is not put forth because like gays NEITHER has ANYTHING to HIDE. LASTLY, we are over THE biologically gay battering issue, this ONLY is trite to represent at this POINT. we have not dealt with the fact THAT biologically gay is not normal and shouldn't ve TREATED as such, for example with respect to being parents any more THAN a handicapped airplane pilot probably shouldn't be flying passenger jets on a Dailey basis.
getsmart Lmao this is illegible, not even gonna bother reading it.
I absolutely ADORE the movie... It was incredible and speaks to me in many ways. It didn't make it all about him sexuality, but did touch on it because it was something that changed his life, quality of life, and his perspective, and it perfectly showed what it's like to be an outsider, and what it's like to think literally. The part where his best friend introduced him to cryptography was amazing. I have struggled with many of these things, and seeing a story about Alan Turing is Mainstream Media is just so amazing and it makes me feel like people like me are getting more and more accepted every day.
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
Alan was a hero. It's disheartening that society mistreated him.
Well said.
This moviе is nоw availаble tо wаaatch here => twitter.com/3be422135de3b4e27/status/795843501992787968 Alan ТТТuring and Тhe Imitаaaatiоon Gаaааme
Actually, WW2 like all other wars was a regular scam to kill ppl.
Like usual - ppl of all nations against elite of all nations.
And so was probably the scam of Turing.
In the age of KobidSkam, maybe you now understand what im talking about and would not label me as a lunatic.
If you do - you are so lost.
Anyone who thinks the movie focuses too much on his sexuality rather than his accomplishments has not seen the movie. I _have_ seen it. It made me feel like I was there at Bletchley Park, facing an impossible problem, tearing my hair out trying to solve it, racing against the clock, and finally finding a clever solution in a flash of insight. The conflict over his sexuality is drama added _on top of_ the story the movie is really about. (Which, obviously, is exactly how it was in real life -- his genius and his efforts came first, _then_ came people's reaction to his sexuality, _then_ came his suffering.)
Some friendly advice that might even make you a better person: learn not to judge something by what the people who created it say about it. See it for yourself before judging it.
Perhaps Turing is well known to those who are interested in science and science-related topics, but to the general public he is largely unknown. I'm glad that a movie is being made to highlight his amazing accomplishments, and the tragedy that cut his life short.
I did my senior project on Turing patterns such as the tiger stripes mentioned in the video. Modern techniques allow us to actually simulate this patterning, but to think that he conceived of this all during the infancy of computation. As an aspiring gay mathematician, his story is extremely inspirational, and it's one that needs to be told for all the world to hear.
Summary of comments: "I don't have a problem with gay people, but REALLY have a problem with any mention of homosexuality"
Since this interview was posted before the movie came out, I think most of them are annoyed because they think the film is all about how hard it was to be a gay man during that time, when what they want to see is Geniuses Doing Maths. But really, it's mostly the second thing, so they should all chillax.
I actually thought it didn't place much emphasis on his sexuality. The central conflict of the movie was him not getting along with coworkers due to him being eccentric, which felt forced and didn't make much sense (he had the power to fire everyone and did so already with a few, why would he put up with them?)
It could have been better if the central conflict was solving the enigma while being prejudiced as a homosexual. Maybe have a turning point scene where he gains some success in cracking the code but accidentally reveals his sexuality and everyone turns on him and nothing can go back to the way it used to be.
Beautiful Mind does a great job showing both the genius and the struggles of the main character (although what is with Eureka moments always happening in bars?)
The guy on the right really struck a nerve with me. Every single comment and answer he gave was related to the struggles Turing faced by being gay. Honestly, who gives a fuck? The importance of Turing's homosexuality pales in comparison to the impact his work had on thousands, nay millions of lives. Celebrate the man, not what he fucks.
P.S. I do not have a problem with gay people. I have a problem with people that think being gay is of more importance than the achievements of such a great figure as Turing.
I agree, to be honest. Focus on the science, although the discrimination he faced was horrible, we should celebrate what he did and I think he would want that.
The problem is the fact that he was gay is in direct relation to his scientific achievements. He killed himself because of what happened to him because of his sexuality. Thus, ending whatever else he could invent, especially since computer age was just starting.
Perhaps it is important to know why the british nation decided that the way to show gratitude and celebrate him, was to castrate the man and make his life hell until he had the decency of killing himself...
Stephen Scanlon _"I have a problem with people that think being gay is of more importance than the achievements of such a great figure as Turing."_
Nobody here, not even "the guy on the right" even remotely suggested that, explicitly nor implicitly.
_"Every single comment and answer he gave was related to the struggles Turing faced by being gay."_
Incorrect.
A. Gil Completely agree. It is an important message to convey that ones sexuality has no impact on ones significance to the betterment of humanity. Exactly why every single comment should not be centralised around it. Mention it, but don't paint a great man as a"discriminated gay", a better, more accurate message would be to show Turing as the "discriminated life saver and intellectual" that he was.
I recommend the film, it was released a month ago in the uk.
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Pete it was....
Pete Saw this about a month ago on the UK, it is amazing, would recommend 10/10
Pete
According to Wikipedia: "The Imitation Game was released in the United Kingdom on 14 November 2014."
IceMetalPunk It's still December 13th as far as I know.
The Imitation game came out *ages* ago here in england! Sorry it's just exiting when we see a film before you do.
I mean, that's only fair, given Turing's nationality XD
I know! It's usually the other way around!
Katie Willems
I mean, that's only fair, given Hollywood's nationality :P
I live in the US and and The Imitation Game came out at my local theater at the end of November, so I'm not really sure whats going on. Maybe it was only a limited release?
Ya, I saw it two weeks ago here in England but I think it actually came out a month ago here
He is my hero. He was such a genuis. Okay, one of my heroes.
My school had a screening of the Imitation Game a couple of days ago, and I went and it was ... I can't describe how amazing and heart-wrenching and stuff that it was. Like, I went through the entire thing thinking Benedict Cumberbatch just doesn't look ANYTHING like Turing, but despite that, his performance was incredibly moving and compelling, and basically *GO WATCH THIS MOVIE IT IS AMAZING*
pavloveva That's true. It's just that usually I'm bad enough at distinguishing faces that it wouldn't bother me, and after all he is the main character.
Feel disappointed in casting Kiera. Distracting to get pulled from the story as she doesn't feel authentic to story.
Well, the haircut was pretty spot on...
Stu VS I absoutely loved Keira in the movie!! One of her finest roles, if not the best....lets agree to disagree
When I saw the movie, I cried multiple times. It's so amazing.
Despite all the arguments in the comments i would only like to say that "The Imitation Game" is a beautiful movie about a beautiful person. He will always live through his work. And as i am typing this comment on my mobile, it is learning my vocab and making suggestions simultaneously. Machines are learning faster than ever Alan. RIP
Indeed. Alan Turing will live eternaly and infinitely.
Alan Turing was an extraordinary man that had to suffer so much in a time of intolerance. The imitation game is an exceptional film it's very entertaining and surprisingly funny. I would highly recommended it.
The film is undeniably incredible. A master piece which pictures a truly astonishing man. Such a sad ending to a person who saved millions of lives.
Thank you so much Alan Turing 😓😢
I've been waiting for this film since June 2014...I'M SO PROUD OF EVERYONE INVOLVED. I'm so proud of Alan and the recognition he's finally getting. This is amazing!!!
Having a brilliant mind in a society that does not accept you can easily backfire and send a man on a downward spiral...
We are lucky that Turing had the mental fortitude to not only take command of his mind but use it for good. A lesser man could have easily spiraled out into depression, alcoholism, etc.
Any intelligent person struggling with themselves and society can learn a lot from this man.
Sosososo happy about this video. I've not seen the movie, but I know I'd love it so much if I saw it. I'm very personally inspired by Allen Turing. Sometimes I cry when I think about him, to be honest.
We let Turing down, he was a war hero, he was a genius, he was the father of computing and Britain let him down, he was punished for his sexuality and it lead to his death. I am ashamed that it took until 2013 to grant him pardon. He was an amazing man and he deserves to be recognised.
As the creators stated, this is NOT a documentary, but it is phenomenologically correct. To get the accurate story, read Hodge's biography, which appeared ~1980 and was cited in the credits (to my surprise).
BTW As a mathematician and computer geek, there were times when I was the only one laughing in the theater.
I saw it a couple Weeks ago (I live in the UK) and I highly recommend it. It was absolutely brilliant!
I watched this film the other day and it blew my mind. It was a real eye opener. I didn't know anything about enigma or how the Second World War ended and it was amazing. When I got home I started researching, I really wanna know more, I might even do a project on it. Also, the acting was amazing. I recommend this film to everyone and it is one of my all time favourites.
when will we see a Nikola Tesla movie, I personally see Turing and Tesla to be intellectual equals, in their respective fields of course, and I think a film about Tesla's life and work could be made very compelling by the fact that he too was a bit of an outsider in society, due to his eccentricities, but still with a razor sharp mind.
It would certainly be controversial, because he had some fucked up ideologies. He believed that anyone who didn't pass a certain IQ threshold should be sterilized and prevented from passing on their Genes.
Looks like you'll be getting your wish sometime this year--check IMDb. :)
He's also made appearances in The Prestige and a few other period movies.
I had hoped for a more publicized biographical movie about Tesla and higher profile actors like with the Imitation Game
Tesla was crazy, and not actually tragic. He died alone, but not lonely. He didn't want any relationships because it would interfere with his work. And the fact that he was crazy might not be received well by some members of the public.
He was smart, but not a good movie subject.
Alanna R. a beautiful mind was also a movie about a genius crazy guy
I first heard about Turing when I borrowed a book on World War II from the school library in Year 7. Since then, Turing has become a very personal and relatable hero of mine. I should point out at this point that I am not gay, but I have an uncle who is, and he is easily one of the nicest, kindest, most gentle and most genuine people I know. I also have Asperger's Syndrome, and I was intensely bullied as a child for being intelligent and not fitting in with my classmates. If it wasn't for a few close friends, my family, my dogs and the desire to emulate great people from throughout history, I would be either dead or in a psych ward right now. Turing saved my life as a teenager, and as an adult who has made it to the third year of undergrad studies at University, I owe Turing my life and my sanity.
Turing, you made the modern world what it is today. You were the greatest mathematician since Isaac Newton, and just because you were different, you were tortured to the point you took your own life by the government of the country you had saved from bring wiped off the face of the earth by one of the most evil men known to the human race.
I know it's 61 years too late, but Dr. Alan Matheson Turing, I am truly, truly sorry for what they did to you, and I hope that you have some measure of peace and happiness now. I hope that you have been reunited with your childhood love, Christopher Moorecombe (not sure if I spelt that correctly), and that you can know that the modern world owes you it's existence.
Atraxus Wraithe
The Imitation Game is honestly one of the best films I have seen
I just think this man is absolutely extrodinary. If you haven't already seen the movie, I strongly recommend it. His life was so full of struggle and yet he did something that completely changed the outcome of WWII. "Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine."
I just watched the film and really enjoyed it. I loved the way both cumberbatch and the filmmakers created a delicate balance between turnings personal life and his scientific research.
The imitation game came out a few weeks ago here in England and it's absolutely incredible. Please please please watch it, it's insanely compelling and just wonderfully interesting.
My University has a statue of Alan Turing which I've always loved :D he disappeared for a while a couple of weeks ago but he's back now. Love Alan Turing :D
I already wanted to watch this movie... now it's a must.
German military texts enciphered on the Enigma machine were first broken by the Polish Cipher Bureau, beginning in December 1932. This success was a result of efforts by three Polish cryptologists, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, working for Polish military intelligence. Give the historical facts some justice!
"Ultra [the British Enigma-decryption operation] would never have gotten off the ground if we had not learned from the Poles, in the nick of time, the details both of the German military... Enigma machine, and of the operating procedures that were in use."
There are so many injustices against the Polish people and it never ends.
Hedonophobia
It was the same machine but with one more rotor added.
How does giving the Polish team credit detract from Turing's accomplishment?
Not giving the Polish credit detracts from their accomplishment.
If it were not for the French spy who brought info to the Polish team the Polish would not have gotten as far as they did. Likewise for Turing.
Martin Lynx Well, yeah, give credit to the Poles.
Buit as you said, Turing's achievements are great aswell:
The one dial they added to the Enigma made the code _much_ harder to break.
Also, he didn't only crack the Enigma but he also invented the Turing machine and thus the modern computer, so he was basically the first one to study informatics even before computers existed.
Using his theoretical Turing machine, he also discovered the Halting Problem and thus started the mathematical field of decidability and computability. (He basically showed that there are things that are impossible to compute using maths).
***** Don't forget Tommy Flowers, who built the Colossus computer, the world's first electronic programmable computer, and thus put Turing's theoretical stuff into practice, while breaking the much harder Lorentz ciphers.
TheBespectacledN00b Well, the Loretz ciphers were not that hard to break once some idiot on the german side sent the exact same message twice in a row
THANK YOU, SciShow for posting this video!!!
Well done, Mr. Green. This is one of your finest presentations.
Alan is a hero. He should be much more famous
The British public owes this man an apology, at the very least!
Thank you Alan!
I can't wait to see this Turing movie!
This is the first time I've heard of The Imitation Game and I'm immediately invested. I almost never go to movies, but I'll probably go see this one. Thanks SciShow :)
wasnt planning on seeing the movie before watching this. excited to see a good rendition of such a great legacy!
Thank you so much for doing this
The Imitation Game didn't do Alan Turing justice, in my opinion the movie did a good job making a well constructing and "engaging" the audience by making an exciting movie. However, this movie was unbelievably inaccurate about Alan and his life. For example, Pat Green* (*in The Imitation Game known as Joan Clarke played by Keira Knightley), was already working at Bletchley.
If you were to read his biography "Alan Turning: The Enigma", you would see how poor of a job the movie did to the portrayal of his work at Bletchley. I saw a theatre production called "Breaking the Code" and it did such an amazing job accurately telling his story.
One more thing, I was also disappointed the movie focussed so little on the events that took place before and after the war. About his social struggles when it came to facing judgment by the British government for being gay (although he was no 'gay right activist' by any means).
Anyways, just thought I'd share my thoughts.
You brought this out 2 days after I finished my massive project on him!!!!
Most of the people I work with don't even pass the Turing test.
I really like where cinema has gone in the past several months. We have the humanist-themed Interstellar, with its attention to scientific detail. Then we have Theory of Everything, and its celebration of both science and Stephen Hawking. Now The Imitation Game, with scientist Alan Turing as the main character. Yay science!
The imitation game came out ages ago in the UK! Its awesome!
Thank you, very much, for this video.
This was fantastic!
fantastic interview. great job guys, wonderful video!
I JUST LEARNED ABOUT THIS IN PHILOSOPHY WHICH MAKES ME EXCITED
Could you do one video about the theory of everything?
pavloveva But i would appreciate a scientific explanation about the theory!
+Beatriz Fernandes There is a documentary called the Elegant Universe made by PBS.
Woot! Sounds great! I can't wait!
beautiful episode
Great job scishow❤️
i like how that guy uses his mouth to help himself speak with his hands
The book is so good!!! It's also one of my favorite movies
There's a statue of him at my uni :) (Surrey, UK)
Alan Turing is a personal hero, and I wish I had known about him sooner.
I've had a passion for science since I was in kindergarten. When I was at intermediate school I realised that I'm gay. I was young, and not very well educated in MOGAI (Marginalised Orientations, Genders, and Intersex. I use this because it's more inclusive than LGBTQIA..., and doesn't have the derogatory connotations that come woth Queer) topics. The only exposure to gay men I had were the 1 dimensional "gay best friend" characters, or flamboyant performers. I didn't want to become those people. I wanted to study and learn, and not be reduced someone's puppylike fashion accessory.
I tried to suppress my sexual orientation. I thought that being gay meant being camp. When I failed to convince myself or others that I was straight, I tried to avoid my "fabulous" fate by more extreme means.
It wasn't long after my first and only serious suicide attempt that I discovered Alan Turing. I now had a person to look up to. A man who was gay, and a scientist! Somehow I had convinced myself such a thing was impossible.
There is not enough representation of fleshed out MOGAI characters on screen, and especially not in STEM roles. I needed to know about Alan Turing. If I had known then, I may not have attempted to end my life.
Alan Turing is a hero for me, and his sexual orientation is what makes his contributions to science and technology important in my view.
AMAZING VIDEO! Thank you for sharing :)
The annotation at 0:20 is broken, it leads to /my_videos_annotate?annotation_id=annotation_2360696371&feature=iv&src_vid=ODAA5Euc_20&v=ODAA5Euc_20&video_referrer=watch i.e. the link to edit that annotation.
I watched the film 2 days ago and it was AMAZING!
A true genious that changed the world. Imagine if he had had another 10 years, or 20, to work.... Imagine where we could be.
(Hat off) Mr. Turing, for all the lifes you saved by shortening the war, by medical cures made possible by the raw processing power of computers, by new friends and aqueintances we now can make daily across the world... We are forever in your debt.
This is so awesome!!!
While such incredible minds did the unthinkable to bring the war to an end, some British generals did the unthinkable trying to prolong it.
I saw The Imitation Game just today and I stumbled upon this video on your channel! Hmm....
I love this guy, he obviously doesn't represent me. We all just keep going.
I originally had no interest in seeing this film, however having watched this I feel compelled to see if it's still showing in my local cinema ^.^
Good vid about the person of Alan Turing! Could we get a more sciency one about the concepts and revolutions discussed?
It's an amazing film. Highly recommended.
A true man to look up to
Still, the fact that he in many ways was instrumental in securing the victory for the allied forces did not prevent him from being bullied to suicide by the very country he helped remain independent. Just because he was gay. It's one of the most disgusting and sad stories I can think of.
Winston Churchill was known to have said that Turing was (to him) the one who contributed the most to winning the war. Without being able to crack the Enigma code supply ships wouldn't have been able to effectively avoid the German blockade ships, cutting off rations to the UK which could very well have brought a famine that would have greatly weakened the British forces that acted as the frontline vanguard against the German forces.
Congratulations Graham on the Oscar!!!
I need to see this film.
I wrote brought up Alan Turing as an example in my analytical writing essay for the GRE last month. I got a 5 out of 6 on it.
So much arguing about Turing's sexuality and how it shouldn't be a major point in the film. That they shouldn't make such a big deal out of it. I think that Turing's struggles are what this film seems to be about. Being a gay man in his time was illegal. That alone is a HUGE struggle. It was who he was that had to be hidden. What a dumb thing to argue about.
Heh, I've seen The Imitation Game in cinema a week and a half ago (and it premiered at least a week before *that*). I didn't know it got released in the States so much later than in the UK!
Very interesting interview, so thanks for sharing it! :)
(I was too busy following P4A yesterday to watch this :P)
Hm. My cousin is coming down to visit on Christmas and the day after. He mentioned taking me out to a movie on him. I was having trouble deciding whether I wanted to see Night At The Museum 3, Hunger Games 3, or Big Hero 6. Now I can just add the Imitation Game to my list of "what do I seeeeeee?!!!"
Prioritise this movie. Trust me, it'll be far better than all of those put together.
Malachi Quinn
Hm...only problem is that I think I'm the only one I know who would be interested, and I very much hate seeing movies alone. I don't know. I'll think about it.
Yeah. Might be a problem, watching alone. If you could persuade someone to go, I'm sure they'd be entertained, it's not exactly deep in scientific jargon. It's aimed at everyone.
N@M3. It'll be the last robin williams film. :c
Louis Parry-Mills
Nah, I've done it before and I very much prefer the company of others at the theater.
I love the movie so much
Congrats to the Oscar for adapted screenplay!
Turing programming language HYPE!
Turing invented the computer and saved some lives during the WWII and because of his homosexuality he was poisoned to sterilize him until he committed suicide. I've read that the film doesn't even emphasize these parts of his life and instead of embracing his otherness (Turing was also autistic) it is a feel good movie for the "normals" out there.
Have you seen it? I wouldn't describe it as a "feel good movie" by any means. His differences are made very clear, and while the film is focused primarily on the the actual War years, the main story is placed solidly within the context of his early life as an outsider and the terrible way his life ended. I'm sure it's not the most accurate biopic that exists, but I did think it was well made.
No I have not and I probably will not. Yeah, I'm sure it is well made. But societys rejection seems to be a major part of Turings life and since the film doesn't seem to emphasize that enough I am not thrilled to see it anytime soon.
helloeagainitsme in the film, Turing's inability to get along with others is a main aspect.
Yes- these guys are very switched on to the human condition. I think that if you appreciate intelligence then then it says something about your own intelligence. IE: If appreciate intelligence then,, by definition, you are intelligent. Oh- and what I get from these guys- another mark of true intelligence, is the ability to make the most abstract things understandable to others. So, much respect. Shutting up now...
Hi Scishow, I have a um well kind of a challenge for Hank.
First hank obviously must have learned quite a bit from being on scishow. So I wanna know in another video is does he believe in a god or some sort of life form that has unlimited power and energy-God basically. So it would be great if you could do that please.
I understand the panic described in their eyes. My teacher just introduced the Turing machine to us in class. Ah, the universal machine. How I wish I understand it better. As I learn more about Turing machines, it is amazing that he came up with these ideas, yet at the same time I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like the Turing machine questions on the final. Now, I can't wait for things to calm down, and for the movie to come out on disk.
Is the movie only available in UK and US?
Can you guys do a talk on Thorium reactors?
Well I know what movie I plan on seeing!
We as a nation need to hang our heads in shame at his treatment.
This felt like a 11 minute-long ad (mostly because it actually was).
Uh.................. the link in the video to Great Minds: Alan Turing at 00:15 is a link to edit the annotations of something I don't have permissions to.
Yup me too, someone's fired!
How do you crack complex codes like enigma?
I'm British so I got to see it early
When I first saw the thumbnail for this, I thought it was a new episode of Rob Dyke's Serial Killer File.
I like how you don't condescend to the viewers it makes me raise up to meat you
(links at the end, to your other 2 shows, first one is working, 2nd one, great minds, Alan T... redirects to editing. I was gonna watch that 2nd one, khehe)
I really hope this movie is good and does well. Turing has been a hero of mine for a long time and it would be nice to have some modern recognition for the man. I just hope they didn't try to spice it up with bullshit. The truth was amazing and tragic enough. Definitely on my watch list.