A collection of quotes and thoughts by Alan Turing on machines, impossible, game, imitation, intelligence, deserve, computers, code-breaker, brain, fact and dreams.
Alan Turing was an eminent English logician, philosopher, computer scientist, theoretical biologist, mathematician and cryptanalyst. He played a vital role in the buildout of theoretical computer science with the Turing machine that formalized the concepts of computation and algorithm. Besides being deemed as the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence, Turing was also an important member of code-breakers in ‘Government Code and Cyber School (GC&CS)’. In 2014, a movie titled ‘The Imitation Game’, popularized his works and life by bagging in the ‘Academy Award’. We bring to you a collection of thoughts, quotable quotes and sayings by the brilliant code-breaker and mathematician. Read through the quotes and sayings by Alan Turing.
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity.
Alan Turing
The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer.
Alan Turing
Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.
I have had a dream indicating rather clearly that I am on the way to being hetero, though I don't accept it with much enthusiasm either awake or in the dreams.
Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no-one can imagine
Alan Turing
No, I'm not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I'm after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.
Do you know why people like violence? It is because it feels good. Humans find violence deeply satisfying. But remove the satisfaction, and the act becomes hollow.
I'm afraid that the following syllogism may be used by some in the future.
Turing believes machines think
Turing lies with men
Therefore machines do not think
Yours in distress,
Alan
Alan Turing
I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.
Instead of trying to produce a programme to simulate the adult mind, why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child's? If this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education one would obtain the adult brain.
If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent.
Alan Turing
There is, however, one feature that I would like to suggest should be incorporated in the machines, and that is a 'random element.' Each machine should be supplied with a tape bearing a random series of figures, e.g., 0 and 1 in equal quantities, and this series of figures should be used in the choices made by the machine. This would result in the behaviour of the machine not being by any means completely determined by the experiences to which it was subjected, and would have some valuable uses when one was experimenting with it.
A very large part of space-time must be investigated, if reliable results are to be obtained.
Alan Turing
It seems probable that once the machine thinking method had started, it would not take long to outstrip our feeble powers… They would be able to converse with each other to sharpen their wits. At some stage therefore, we should have to expect the machines to take control.
Alan Turing
Those who can imagine anything, can create the impossible.
Alan Turing
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity. The activity of the intuition consists in making spontaneous judgements which are not the result of conscious trains of reasoning... The exercise of ingenuity in mathematics consists in aiding the intuition through suitable arrangements of propositions, and perhaps geometrical figures or drawings.
Alan Turing
Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine
Alan Turing
My little computer said such a funny thing this morning.
Alan Turing
Unless in communicating with it one says exactly what one means, trouble is bound to result.
Alan Turing
When we want to sink a convoy, we send out an observation plane first... Of course, to observe is not its real duty, we already know exactly where the convoy is. Its real duty is to be observed...Then, when we come round and sink them, the Germans will not find it suspicious.
