Author Archives: nashedron

The Most Generous Book in the World

Posted on November 2, 2014

I was recently invited to write a short piece on Alan Turing and his childhood friend and secret crush, Christopher Morcom, for a book called The Who, the What, and the When: 65 Artists Illustrate the Secret Sidekicks of History, about the … Continue reading →

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Alan Turing Hits the Red Carpet, Chris Morcom Hits the Books

Posted on September 19, 2014

It’s rare that I look out on yet another perfect, sunny day in Brazil and wish that I was in my other hometown, Toronto. I sometimes get nostalgic for something specific: a friend, or a favorite restaurant. And occasionally I … Continue reading →

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More Derision for Turing Test “Pass”

Posted on June 16, 2014

Days since the Centenary: 723 Days to the Bicentennial: 35,801 Further to the post of a few days ago (“Did a Supercomputer Finally Pass the Turing Test? Don’t Bet On It“), skepticism about the alleged passing of the Turing Test by … Continue reading →

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Did a Supercomputer Finally Pass the Turing Test? Don’t Bet On It.

Posted on June 12, 2014

The headlines have been nearly ecstatic–and almost uniformly uncritical.  Here are just a few: The Verge: Computer passes Turing Test for first time by convincing judges it is a 13-year-old boy Venture Beat: Talk to the computer that passed the Turing Test, … Continue reading →

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Hum Along to Turing with the Pet Shop Boys

Posted on May 7, 2014

The Pet Shop Boys are icons of 1980s electronic music.  They’re also the most successful music duo that the United Kingdom has ever produced.  And they’re Turing Elves. This July, at the BBC Proms music festival, the Boys will present … Continue reading →

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Turing Elves Strike Again: New Turing Infographic

Posted on April 21, 2014

We’re almost two years past the Turing centenary now–in fact we’ve gone some ways toward the bicentennial–but the momentum that began in the lead-up to the centenary is still in evidence. Regular readers will know that a Turing Elf is … Continue reading →

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Three Words to Sum Up Alan Turing

Posted on May 15, 2013

I’m not sure that Jack Copeland actually manages to sum up Alan Turing in three words. Nonetheless, this brief video provides a nice portrait that helps rescue the real Alan Turing, the man you would meet face to face, from … Continue reading →

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