Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/04/05
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As Mr. Deadman describes,
the Turing Machine is a theoretical concept, rather than a
physical device like the cotton gin.
Alan Turing was part of the British project to breaking the german
enigma code.
BTW, though i'm no expert in this, i found David Kahn's
*Seizing the Enigma* to be a fascinating book on that subject.
i enjoyed the descriptions of the german code machines; very clever
mechanical devices these were, like some cameras they were making
at the time [ON TOPIC :-)].
- -rei
>
> just to add a bit more to this - I understand that it was a version of the
> Turing machine which was used to decode messages from the 'Enigma' coding
> machine during WWII.
>
> The centre for receiving these messages was at Bletchley Park . FWIW
> Bletchley is now part of Milton Keynes - where Leica UK are based - phew had
> to work that in ;-))
>
>
> I understand that the decoding centre is now open to the public and may have
> a Turing M/c on display - anyone have any more details please?
>
> Regards, Clive Sanbrook
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Johnny Deadman" <john@pinkheadedbug.com>
> To: "LUG" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> Sent: 05 April 2001 01:59
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Photoshop! The Leica of...
>
>
> > on 4/4/01 7:39 PM, Simon Stevens at simon@camera-craftsman.com wrote:
> >
> > > What is a "Turing Machine"? I know who Alan Turing was and Ive heard of
> > > the Turing test (and sometimes I'm convinced that's what the LUG is),
> > > but I haven't heard this term before.
> >
> > A Turing machine is a kind of theoretical computer that reads digital
> data,
> > performs a particular set of operations on them, and outputs digital data.
> >
> > The point about a Turing machine is that given a certain minimum set of
> > operations the machine is capable of performing, a Turing machine is
> capable
> > of carrying out any intellectual task we know an algorithm for. This is
> > important because it shows we don't need more and more powerful computers
> to
> > solve more and more difficult problems. The most basic Turing machine
> > imaginable is quite capable of solving the most difficult problem
> imaginable
> > *given enough time*. EG a sinclair spectrum could have passed the Turing
> > test, given that we knew how to program *any* computer to pass the test.
> >
> > There is a lot about Turing machines in Hofstadter and Bennet's GODEL,
> > ESCHER, BACH, which is one of those books everyone should read at least
> > twice...
> >
> > My analogy was that Photoshop is capable of carrying out any graphical
> > manipulation task you throw at it, *given that you know how to do it!*
> > --
> > Johnny Deadman
> >
> > http://www.pinkheadedbug.com
> >
> >
> >
>
>
- --
Rei Shinozuka shino@painewebber.com 212-713-6256 FAX: 212-713-1482
PaineWebber Fixed Income Research, PaineWebber Incorporated
1285 Avenue of the Americas, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10019-6028
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