Alan Mathison Turing OBE FRS was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. Profoundly inspirational Alan Turing quotes will make you look at life differently and help you live a meaningful life.
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Famous Alan Turing Quotes
We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done. Alan Turing
Sometimes it is the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine. Alan Turing
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity. Alan Turing
We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done. Alan Turing
We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge. Alan Turing
A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human. Alan Turing
I have such a stressful job that the only way I can get it out of my mind is by running hard. Alan Turing
One day ladies will take their computers for walks in the park and tell each other, My little computer said such a funny thing this morning. Alan Turing
The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer. Alan Turing
If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent. Alan Turing
A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human. Alan Turing
Do you know why people like violence? It is because it feels good. Humans find violence deeply satisfying. But remove the satisfaction, and the act becomes hollow. Alan Turing
Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition. Alan Turing
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded. Alan Turing
No, I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I’m after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Alan Turing
Programming is a skill best acquired by practice and example rather than from books. Alan Turing
I want a permanent relationship, and I might feel inclined to reject anything which of its nature could not be permanent. Alan Turing
Codes are a puzzle. A game, just like any other game. Alan Turing
Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. Alan Turing
Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition. Alan Turing
I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted. Alan Turing
A man provided with paper, pencil, and rubber, and subject to strict discipline, is in effect a universal machine. Alan Turing
I have had a dream indicating rather clearly that I am on the way to being hetero, though I don’t accept it with much enthusiasm either awake or in the dreams. Alan Turing
Instead of trying to produce a programme to simulate the adult mind, why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child’s? If this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education one would obtain the adult brain. Alan Turing
A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human. Alan Turing
We may hope that machines will eventually compete with men in all purely intellectual fields. Alan Turing
Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition. Alan Turing
No, I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. Alan Turing
No, I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I’m after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Alan Turing
The original question, Can machines think? I believe to be too meaningless to deserve discussion. Alan Turing
I want a permanent relationship, and I might feel inclined to reject anything which of its nature could not be permanent. Alan Turing
It seems probable that once the machine thinking method had started, it would not take long to outstrip our feeble powers They would be able to converse with each other to sharpen their wits. At some stage therefore, we should have to expect the machines to take control. Alan Turing
Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. Alan Turing
Unless in communicating with it one says exactly what one means, trouble is bound to result. Alan Turing
I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted. Alan Turing
There is, however, one feature that I would like to suggest should be incorporated in the machines, and that is a random element. Each machine should be supplied with a tape bearing a random series of figures, e.g., 0 and 1 in equal quantities, and this series of figures should be used in the choices made by the machine. This would result in the behaviour of the machine not being by any means completely determined by the experiences to which it was subjected, and would have some valuable uses when one was experimenting with it. Alan Turing
I have had a dream indicating rather clearly that I am on the way to being hetero, though I don’t accept it with much enthusiasm either awake or in the dreams. Alan Turing
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity. The activity of the intuition consists in making spontaneous judgements which are not the result of conscious trains of reasoning. The exercise of ingenuity in mathematics consists in aiding the intuition through suitable arrangements of propositions, and perhaps geometrical figures or drawings. Alan Turing
May not machines carry out something which ought to be described as thinking but which is very different from what a man does? Alan Turing
Up to a point, it is better to just let the snags bugs be there than to spend such time in design that there are none. Alan Turing
The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer. Alan Turing
The idea behind digital computers may be explained by saying that these machines are intended to carry out any operations which could be done by a human computer. Alan Turing
Programming is a skill best acquired by practice and example rather than from books. Alan Turing
Machines take me by surprise with great frequency. Alan Turing
Presumably the child brain is something like a notebook as one buys it from the stationer’s. Rather little mechanism, and lots of blank sheets. Alan Turing
I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted. Alan Turing
I propose to consider the question, Can machines think? Alan Turing
We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge. Alan Turing
A computer would deserve to be called intelligent if it could deceive a human into believing that it was human. Alan Turing
My little computer said such a funny thing this morning. Alan Turing
We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done. Alan Turing
A very large part of space time must be investigated, if reliable results are to be obtained. Alan Turing
Those who can imagine anything, can create the impossible. Alan Turing
Mathematical reasoning may be regarded rather schematically as the exercise of a combination of two facilities, which we may call intuition and ingenuity. Alan Turing
We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge. Alan Turing
These disturbing phenomena Extra Sensory Perception seem to deny all our scientific ideas. How we should like to discredit them! Unfortunately the statistical evidence, at least for telepathy, is overwhelming. Alan Turing
I’m afraid that the following syllogism may be used by some in the future. Alan Turing
No, I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I’m after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Alan Turing
Instead of trying to produce a programme to simulate the adult mind, why not rather try to produce one which simulates the child’s? If this were then subjected to an appropriate course of education one would obtain the adult brain. Alan Turing
No, I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I’m after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Alan Turing
If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent. Alan Turing
In attempting to construct such artificially intelligent machines we should not be irreverently usurping His God’s power of creating souls, any more than we are in the procreation of children,” Turing had advised. Rather we are, in either case, instruments of His will providing mansions for the souls that He creates. Alan Turing
There is, however, one feature that I would like to suggest should be incorporated in the machines, and that is a random element. Each machine should be supplied with a tape bearing a random series of figures. Alan Turing
We may hope that machines will eventually compete with men in all purely intellectual fields. But which are the best ones to start with? Many people think that a very abstract activity, like the playing of chess, would be best. It can also be maintained that it is best to provide the machine with the best sense organs that money can buy, and then teach it to understand and speak English. Alan Turing
Unless in communicating with it one says exactly what one means, trouble is bound to result. Alan Turing
I’m afraid that the following syllogism may be used by some in the future. Turing believes machines think Turing lies with men Therefore machines do not think Yours in distress. Alan Turing
Codes are a puzzle. A game. Just like any other game. Alan Turing
The Exclusion Principle is laid down purely for the benefit of the electrons themselves, who might be corrupted and become dragons or demons if allowed to associate too freely. Alan Turing
A very large part of space time must be investigated, if reliable results are to be obtained. Alan Turing
Instruction tables will have to be made up by mathematicians with computing experience and perhaps a certain puzzle solving ability. There need be no real danger of it ever becoming a drudge, for any processes that are quite mechanical may be turned over to the machine itself. Alan Turing
One day ladies will take their computers for walks in the park and tell each other, My little computer said such a funny thing this morning. Alan Turing
Bell Labs Cafeteria, New York, 1943 His high pitched voice already stood out above the general murmur of well behaved junior executives grooming themselves for promotion within the Bell corporation. Then he was suddenly heard to say No, I’m not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I’m after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Alan Turing
