Turing, Prometheus, and Pardons

Prometheus, popularly called Uranus, is a planet of genius and insights.  He is also a planet of revolutions and social change.  Some have noted that he also represents non-traditional sexual relations (ALL of them), including those of the Gay and Lesbian community.  Curiously, Prometheus stands for all of these things.

The movie “The Imitation Game” with Benedict Cumberbatch has sparked a controversy.  While many in the general public have heard of Albert Einstein but not Alan Turing, in some circles Turing is as highly revered as Einstein.  (I agree.)

The movie has catapulted Turing into the spotlight by focusing on his work on cryptography for the British Government and his subsequent conviction for “gross indecency” (having homosexual relations with another man).  The movie does not focus on his other work: the development of “Turing machines.”

While I do respect Einstein and his remarkable work, the only time I encounter it on a day to day basis is when I watch “The Big Bang Theory.”  But, the computer that I am using to write this is a modern “Turing machine.”  The television nearby almost certainly contains a “Turing machine.”  So does my laptop, tablet, the electronics that run my automobile, and a ton of gadgets.  ALL of them are based on the ideas and architecture that Turing developed.  While I just don’t see relativity impacting me hugely on a daily basis (EXCEPT possibly to facilitate the development of modern Turing machines), Turing’s work affects almost everything I do.

But, Alan Turing was “convicted” of a crime and relegated to historical obscurity compared to others of his stature.  He has since (2013) been given a “Royal Pardon.”  (I might add that I find his supposed “suicide” a bit suspicious at a time when it would have been “convenient” to MI6 to have him die this way as part of a smear campaign to make his contributions forever disappear.)

That said, a new movement is afoot.  The idea is to “pardon” ALL who were convicted under that law.  If you agree with that idea, here are some websites that might be useful:

• http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/23526
• Change.org petition
• http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31659
• http://benedictcumberbatchtimes.com/2015/01/26/a-movie-a-hero-and-a-movement/