The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
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Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#2If this article piqued your interest, be sure to read Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#3Would be nice to mention the whole effort, not only Turing. Like the fact that Poles were reading Enigma encrypted messages before the WW2, and send all information they aquired to France and Great Brittain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptanalysis_of_the_Enigma#Pol...
I mean - Turing was brilliant, but why everybody only tell the story from the middle ?
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#4If this article piqued your interest, be sure to read Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.
Speaking of which, I recently read this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LW5JL2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?...
Which is about WWII in the Pacific, up to the battle of Midway. He talks about the code breaking efforts in Hawaii, and I immediately recognized one of the minor characters from Cryptonimicon - the guy in charge of the cryptanalysis efforts - who was apparently a bit eccentric, and not big on military formalities. I didn't realize that the character in the book was based on someone real.
It's a very well written book, and I'd highly recommend it, as well, as, of course, Cryptonimicon.
Edit - here's a link that talks about him some:
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#5Would be nice to mention the whole effort, not only Turing. Like the fact that Poles were reading Enigma encrypted messages before the WW2, and send all information they aquired to France and Great Brittain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptanalysis_of_the_Enigma#Pol... I mean - Turing was brilliant, but why everybody only tell the story from the middle ?
I have always felt that Tommy Flowers' incredible contribution (i.e. building the first electronic, programmable computer) is all-too-frequently overlooked. I suppose it just makes a better story to talk about a lone genius rather than a group of collaborators.
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#6Would be nice to mention the whole effort, not only Turing. Like the fact that Poles were reading Enigma encrypted messages before the WW2, and send all information they aquired to France and Great Brittain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptanalysis_of_the_Enigma#Pol... I mean - Turing was brilliant, but why everybody only tell the story from the middle ?
Well it does say he was a 'key player', not the only person involved. Plus as it's a retrospective on Turing's contributions I think they're allowed to focus on a sole character.
(But several other excellent Turing stories have mentioned the other players involved, Ars had an excellent article about it if I remember rightly).
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#7Would be nice to mention the whole effort, not only Turing. Like the fact that Poles were reading Enigma encrypted messages before the WW2, and send all information they aquired to France and Great Brittain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptanalysis_of_the_Enigma#Pol... I mean - Turing was brilliant, but why everybody only tell the story from the middle ?
It does note this:
"Turing helped adapt a device originally developed by Poland to create the bombe" - under the device caption
And as someone else said, this is about celebrating Turing's 100th birthday.
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#8If this article piqued your interest, be sure to read Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.
Speaking of which, I recently read this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005LW5JL2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?... Which is about WWII in the Pacific, up to the battle of Midway. He talks about the code breaking efforts in Hawaii, and I immediately recognized one of the minor characters from Cryptonimicon - the guy in charge of the cryptanalysis efforts - who was apparently a bit eccentric, and not big on military formalities.…
Wasn't aware that he was a real person either.
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#9Would be nice to mention the whole effort, not only Turing. Like the fact that Poles were reading Enigma encrypted messages before the WW2, and send all information they aquired to France and Great Brittain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptanalysis_of_the_Enigma#Pol... I mean - Turing was brilliant, but why everybody only tell the story from the middle ?
Indeed, and without taking away anything form Turing, it was Rejewski, Różycki and Zygalski code-breakers
working at the request of the Polish army that broke the Enigma codes. I believe they summoned numerous cryptologists, three of which were these guys.
Re: The codebreaker who saved 'millions of lives'
#10Would be nice to mention the whole effort, not only Turing. Like the fact that Poles were reading Enigma encrypted messages before the WW2, and send all information they aquired to France and Great Brittain. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptanalysis_of_the_Enigma#Pol... I mean - Turing was brilliant, but why everybody only tell the story from the middle ?
It'd also be nice if they mentioned that the government orchestrated his death by castrating him for the sinful, heinous crime of... being gay.