Breaking the Code: The Enigma of Alan Turing
British mathematician Alan Turing broke the German military's prized Enigma cipher in World War II, created the foundations of modern computer science, and pioneered the fields of artificial intelligence ("Can Machines Think?") and neural networks. Turing was arrested for homosexuality and forced to undergo hormone treatments that may have led to his apparent suicide by cyanide poisoning at a relatively young age. His brilliant achievements and tragic death have been the subject of biographies, essays, plays, novels, and films. We will explore the life and works of this remarkable individual in the context of the World War II and its aftermath. There will be two sections of this seminar meeting in adjacent rooms. At times we will bring all the students and both instructors into the same room for a common lecture or presentation. At other times, we will meet separately to promote better discussions and work on writing. 3 hrs. sem./screening