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Lost Turing Letters Give Unique Insight Into His Academic Life Prior To Death (manchester.ac.uk)
bellwould shares a report from The University of Manchester. From the report: A lost and unique collection of letters and correspondence from the late Alan Turing has been found in an old filing cabinet in a storeroom at the University of Manchester. The file's content, which potentially hasn't seen the light of day for at least 30 years, dates from early 1949 until Turing's death in June 1954. Altogether there are 148 documents, including a letter from GCHQ, a handwritten draft BBC radio program about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and offers to lecture from some of America's most famous universities, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
... [T]he letters do give a unique glimpse into his every day working life at the time of these events. Plus, some documents also give a brief insight into some of his more forthright personal opinions. For example, his response to a conference invitation to the U.S. in April 1953 is simply, "I would not like the journey, and I detest America." The collection of papers has been sorted, catalogued and stored at the University's Library by Archivist, James Peters. The documents themselves were found by Professor Jim Miles of the School of Computer Science.
... [T]he letters do give a unique glimpse into his every day working life at the time of these events. Plus, some documents also give a brief insight into some of his more forthright personal opinions. For example, his response to a conference invitation to the U.S. in April 1953 is simply, "I would not like the journey, and I detest America." The collection of papers has been sorted, catalogued and stored at the University's Library by Archivist, James Peters. The documents themselves were found by Professor Jim Miles of the School of Computer Science.
Imagine what could have been, he was the Rockstar of GC&CS until they wanted to 'fix' him. For those who are buffs of CS history, it's always a bit sad to be reminded of our science's founder, and how tragically we lost him.
I don't read AC
My experience with smart people is that they hate travel, and with stupid people is that they like travel.
My experience with people who make statements like this is that they have a very narrow (and often self-serving) definition of smart.
Yeah, gays were a lot more accepted in the US in the 50s. Almost as much as the blacks.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Correction: autistic and self-obsessed people who think they are smart don't like to travel. Intelligent people look forward to the experience. Your opinion is biased by your limited and bigoted view, which stems from the sad fact that you only deal with narrow-minded, socially-deficient elements like yourself. Dismissed.
2 hour travel to a London airport.
3 hour wait time in security, the lounge, check-in queues, etc. at a London airport.
God-knows-how-long a flight, in cramped conditions, unable to escape.
1 hour wait time to pass security the other end.
2 hour travel to your hotel.
All the same again a few days later.
Sorry, but it's got nothing to do with autism or anything else - what a horrible way to go, just to give a talk. Sod that. I wouldn't do that to start a week's holiday in Europe.
I think you miss the point that "travel" doesn't just mean "wander around a country" but the hassle of getting there in the first place, which can consume a vast portion of your free time. If you're not going to get a holiday, are going to working / giving a talk while you're there, you'd have to pay me a LOT of money to suffer that, especially so in Turing's day.
The "experience" of travel - as in "holidaying" - is entirely different to travelling for business / academia.
YOUR opinion is biased in favour of your limited, bigoted, mis-targeted, attacking view without an understanding of what's being discussed.
Turing lived in America for a while. He detested it. And he also hated the journey.
P.S. Yes, even travel for a "holiday", sorry, but I've been many, many, many places for everything from tent-camping to five-star cruise ships (e.g. the QE2). Most "travel" sucks. Especially if you are only able to go see the same tourist attractions as everyone else. There are moments, but just because you have a funny incident in Mumbai once doesn't mean that it's a life-changing and necessary experience.
Just having been to a country that someone else hasn't doesn't make you a world expert on it. Nor does it mean you're going to "discover yourself" and "learn about new cultures" or any of the other cliches that people trot out.
Travel-and-live-there, yes, possibly. Anything else is just holidaying.
Correction: autistic and self-obsessed people who think they are smart don't like to travel. Intelligent people look forward to the experience. Your opinion is biased by your limited and bigoted view, which stems from the sad fact that you only deal with narrow-minded, socially-deficient elements like yourself. Dismissed.
I've traveled a lot. I've worked in a number of different countries across the East and West. The stupidest bunch of travelers are, without fail, those that are under some sort of misguided notion that travel broadens the mind (Yes, I read that above, so what?)
The majority of travelers are the type who find out what McDonalds taste like in other countries. Fewer travelers are the type to actually learn something from their trip.
I'm sorry - I see very few smart travelers. Most of the people I see who like traveling aren't going to win any fields medals anytime soon.
I'm a minority race. Save your vitriol for white people.