The Daily Teaser — 20-7-2013: Fly Me To The Moon

Now, there’s a thing … !

You DO realise that I’d not be writing this — and you’d not be reading it — if it hadn’t been for the work of computer scientist, Alan Turing … ?

He’s the chap whose academic work in the 1930s 1940s — and whose work on the code-breaking machines in Bletchley Park during World War 2 — defined the modern computer: including whatever device* you happen to be reading this on.

He committed suicide in the 1950s: partly, it’s felt, as a result of the pressure he and many other gay men were under, and partly as a result of being criminalised and prosecuted for indecency, under the UK’s (then) laws against homosexuality.

For many years, I and others have felt he should be pardoned by the Government.   After all,Turing is a war-hero, as well as being the father of modern computer.

Seemingly … ?   Well, seemingly, there’s a bill going through the House Of Lords to grant him a Parliamentary Pardon.

Hopefully, that’ll help.   It’s been a bit too long, from where I’m sitting.

~≈‡≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw both Debbi† and Pink Fluff putting in their answers: with Debbi telling us the name Molly sounds familiar, and Fluff‡ telling us her cat, Simon, know’s there’s life on Mars, it saw Debbi scoring four out of five and Fluff three out.

Let’s see how they — and you — do with today’s Moon landing questions.

Here they are, along with the ‘How To’, License and video … 

Q1) 20th July saw the first men walk on the Earth’s Moon.   In which year … ?

Q2) More to the point, name either of those first two men.

Q3) Which member of the crew stayed on the orbiting command module … ?

Q4) That command module took its name from a craft in a book by which Frenchman … ?

Q5) What was the name of the landing craft … ?

Q6) The rocket that got the crew there was a Saturn 5.   Given which mission designation: Apollo Ten, Eleven or Twelve … ?

Q7) Finally … Which US president was the one to announce the US would be heading for the moon … ?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 19th July, 1843 saw the launch of the SS Great Britain: what was then the largest ship afloat.   It was also the first to made largely of which metal … ?

A1) Iron.

Q2) The ship was also one of the first ocean-going ships to be propelled by what: sails, a paddlewheel or a screw-propellor?

A2) A screw propellor.

Q3) What does the SS in SS Great Britain stand for … ?

A3) Steam Ship.

Q4) On which set of islands was the ship famously retired to, in 1884?

A4) The Falklands.

Q5) Finally … which (then) member of the Royal Family took part in the the ship’s launch … ?

A5) Prince Albert, the Prince Consort.

I’ll leave you with this thought from genuine American hero and icon, Neil Armstrong …

“Pilots take no special joy in walking: pilots like flying. Pilots generally take pride in a good landing, not in getting out of the vehicle”.

Neil Armstrong.

And with this tune: apparently played on the day … 

*        Tablet, laptop, desktop, smartphone, Mac, PC, Android, iOS, Windows RT: literally whatever computing device you reading this on.

†        Three … ?   Blimey, Debbi, you do like multi-tasking, don’t you … ? :D   Just in case you HAVE caught up with her, she’s the character with the cybernetically implanted mirror-shades.   Someone did a a piece of fan art that’s crept up the page rankings, that I feel is her, perfectly.

‡        I’m assuming Simon’s a cat, here, Fluff: I’ll apologise, now, if he’s a dog … ! :D