The Imitation Game: Is A Great Film!

11th March, 2015.

It has to be said, I was going to open this post with the line, “I’m a sucker for a good film.”

Which — in a sense — is true.

I like watching good films.

But it struck me that opening with that line?

Was that opening with “I’m a sucker for a good film” would possibly be just a bit too glib.

Too superficial … shallow … 

Too … 

Yeah … I think you get my point.

That opener was way to shallow an opening.   Too shallow … 

Given the fact I wanted to tell you about a serious movie: one I know I’ve just been wanting to catch, ever since I heard of its making.

And release, last year.

The 2014, WW2 era drama, Morten Tyldum directed, The Imitation Game.

And wow … 

I think it’s been worth the wait.

~≈†≈~

BBC News - Alan Turing papers on code breaking released by GCHQ

BBC News - Alan Turing papers on code breaking released by GCHQ

Now THAT’s a result … 

Anyone who’s been reading me for a while knows I’ve always got time for the late Alan Turing: the Cambridge mathematician who originally came up with the idea of a programmable digital computer, and helped this country win WW2.

Well, handily, two 70 year old papers on code breaking by Turing have recently been released by their owners/holders.

GCHQ, of all people … !

Nice to know they’ve let them go.

But it probably tells you quite a bit about either them.

Or Turing, himself.

‹‹‡››

Moving rapidly on … ?

You’ll probably remember me saying— this morning — that I’d had a recent letter published in this weeks Gazette:after an article they’d published: all about the planned development in Saint James Road.

Here’s the article concerned.

And here’s what the Gazette released yesterday.

I read your article about the arson incident and have to do two things in response.

Firstly, congratulate my fellow tenant, Mr Williams, for his speedy response: He may not have saved lives: but has served as a positive example.

Secondly — as you’re probably no doubt aware — I and others have been objecting to Taylor Wimpey’s plans to further develop the area, for at least two years.

My own personal objections hinge on the one point your article puts very well.

That — with the current state of development in the area — parking has increased to the point where emergency vehicle access, as this incident shows, is hard and verging on the impossible.

Now, I’ll admit, I’m hoping a couple of things happen as a result of this.

For starters, I hope that Taylor Wimpey’s current and future plans for the area get turned down, the next time they come before Brentwood Council’s Planning committee.

What’s more, I’ve been told by several people — Taylor Wimpey’s spokespeople, included — that, due to ‘the legalities involved’, something has to be put next to Brunel House.

I really hope someone comes along to rewrite the laws that say that.

Here’s hoping it all adds to the objections to Taylor Wimpey want to put there.

Pardoning Alan Turing

BBC News - Petition to pardon computer pioneer Alan Turing started

You know, that’s one other bit of news I meant to tell you about …

You probably know I’m something of a very amateur technology.

Very amateur, I should stress: I really don’t have the budget to be anything but.

I sort of also take an interest in computer’s history.

Mostly because some of it started here, in the UK.

»»•««

Probably more than you or I could could imagine, actually.

One figure looms large in the history of modern computing, though.

That of academic, Alan Turing: the man who defined computers with his On Computable Numbers, with an Application to the Entscheidungsproblem, and who went on to build and run some of the cryptanalysis teams at Bletchley Park.

Turing was gay.

And, as homosexuality was illegal, back then, he was criminalised.

And committed suicide in the 1950s, after eating a poisoned apple.

»»•««

Which has been something of a point of contention for many, me included.

You seen, I’ve long felt that ones sexuality is on a par with being left or right-handed, gender, ethnicity, what-have-you.* They’re just something that’s thereº.

At ANY rate … ?

At any rate, many people have felt that Alan Turing should have been given some sort of medal for his war work.

Or, if nothing else … ?

If nothing else, have his 1952 indecency conviction quashed.

The man was a war hero whose key theories drive much of the modern world.

That Pardon would be something I think.

* Granted, there’s racism, sexism, homophobia: and even — a trivial thing that I emphasise more than most — mild prejudice against being left handed. These are thing’s I’ve always felt are wrong: but unfortunately, a lot more present than we like to admit.

º Twenty or thirty years ago, I might have added ‘and can’t be helped’. Sod that, if you’ll excuse the phrase. I’ve ever so slowly come to realise the phrase implies someone needs help getting over the disability of being black, left handed or a woman. I’m pretty sure I know one or two woman, black people and LGBT community members — and other southpaws — who’d have a word or two to say …

Bletchley Park: Getting A Gong From The Queen …

Oh, well, now THERE’S a thing …

Seriously …

You know, you’ve probably worked out, by now, that I’m a bit of a technology fan.

Admittedly, rather a skint one who rather have more tech than he’s got, but none the less a tech fan.

And over the years … ?

One that’s taken something of an interest in the history of these things.

Now, in the UK, you can’t actually do that, without mentioning two names.

One of those, of course, is the late Alan Turing, the man whose On Computable Numbers paper defined computers, back in 1936, and who went on to build them.

The other … ?

The other name was the place honoured by the Queen, today.

Bletchley Park, in Buckinghamshire.

Now, in case you didn’t know, Bletchley Park was the site of Britain’s code breakers, during World War 2: including Alan Turing, I should add.

The code breakers based there worked on cracking the German Enigma code, along with the Lorenz ciphers, and assorted others. And are generally agreed to have shortened the war by a number of years.

So seeing the news, today, that the Queen has unveiled a statue, and paid tribute to the Bletchley Park codebreakers … ? Was something I know that I, certainly, felt was nice to see.

Now …

I wonder if that posthumous medal for Dr Turing’s on its way …

Information Pioneers: Alan Turing from Information Pioneers on Vimeo.

Code-cracking machine returned to life: Tunny’s BACK … !

BBC News - Code-cracking machine returned to life

Well, now THAT’S a thing … !

I’ve got to admit, I’ve long taken an interest in history, I really have.

And the history of computing — while I’ve no particular academic qualifications to show for it — is something that’s fascinated me for almost as long.

Now, I’ll be frank …

I’m British …

So, given computer history’s so fascinating, you’ll probably not be surprised that me, and some friends visited Bletchley Park, in 2009, home of both the National Computer Museum …

And Britain’s World War 2 code cracking centre.

»»•««

Which is why that link at the top of the page grabbed me when I open my RSS reader.

The fact that the reconstruction of the Tunny machine — that Sue, Andy and I saw, on that visit — is now finished … !

And I’ve got to admit … I’m curious enough to want another visit …

Just as a follow on …

You know, it’s just occurred …

One thing that I forgot to mention is the simple fact that Bletchley Park has a site if you want a far better explanation of the working’s of both the Enigma and Lorenz machines than I could ever give. Have a good float around!

A Day in the Park …

Phew!

THAT was a job and a half!!

This lot’s the picture I took on Sunday, when Andy and Sue took me along on a day trip to Bletchley Park; home of Britain’s code-breakers, during the war.

Yes, I know I’ve put a few up, already …

But I couldn’t not show you as many as possible.

Including one of the staff records still held — and on display — at Bletchley Manor, itself; which included a Miss E. L. R. Downie, listed as a Naval Section linguist, in Block B.

Lord knows if she is or was a direct relative — long story, there, trust me — but it’s nice to see the family name there; I don’t know what she was doing, though.

I mean, apart from translating German naval messages, obviously, once they’d been decoded, obviously …

You know, one of these day‘s, I swear I’ll think these statements through, before I write ’em down!

But it sounds like she’d been in Hut Eight, or Hut Four.

•••••

Oy!

But at any rate, it was fascinating to see all of the proverbial kit and caboodle of Bletchley’s involvement in the war.

Including the Enigma machines they had on site.

Amazing to see.

If I’ve understood it correctly, it was a very complicated code wheel.

You know, those toys, almost, that let you send secret messages to your friends, when you’re a kid?

You know, you have to set ‘A’ to, say ‘T’, to encode a message you want to send? (Which is called plain-text, by the by … )

In the case of the Enigma, an ‘A’ would get turned into a ‘T’.

Then the ‘A’ wheel would take a step forward to b, for example.

The next wheel in — like a three wheel code wheel — turns that ‘A’ into a ‘T’, and then — then — passes it on to the next wheel.

Which turns it into a … a … oh, I don’t know … a ‘Z’, for example!

Phew!!

With each wheel clicking forward whenever you press a key on the typewriter all this is attached to.

And known of the letters on the wheels being in alphabetical order.

All all of those settings — and wheels — changing every day. The original Enigma’s used three wheels at a time; but came with five, so you could really complicate the job of anyone trying to decode your message.

Or that was the German theory, anyway …

The Lorenz machines were even more complex, if I’ve understood it correctly …

Which is why the Heath Robinson and Colossus machines; faster and more efficient versions of the Bombe machines, originally designed by the Polish cipher section, and substantially improved by the Bletchley Park crew.

I could go on for hours about this stuff!

I could, really!

But I’ll leave it there, I think.

But will encourage you to at least head over and visit Bletchley Park; it’s a fascinating piece of history.

Oh, and one last point; from what Andy told me, on Sunday, the image of the Spitfire used by the BNP, in their recent publicity … had a Polish pilot.

Laugh?

I nearly widdled meself!

More About Bletchley

This is literally going to be quick; I’m off to work, in a tick!

But I thought I’d post up a few more shots from yesterday’s Bletchley Park visit!

Enjoy!!