Alan Mathison Turing and the Turing Award Winners: A short journey through the history of Computer Science

In this talk, I will briefly highlight Alan Turing's main contributions and how they have influenced research developments in Computer Science.

I will then illustrate how the research work of several winners of the most prestigious award given to Computer Scientists relates to Alan Turing's own research and vision.

O que é Computação? Da Máquina de Turing ao Pensamento Computacional

This talk will discuss the topic "What is Computation?".

The word "computable" was first used by Alan Turing when describing a machine that was capable of solving problems automatically.

The architecture and operational mode of this machine, called "Turing Machine" today, was inspired by the way humans used to solve mathematical problems at that time: Using paper, pencil and thought.

Since then, inummerous techniques to describe computational processes as well as computing machine technologies have been proposed.

Natural computing machines were also discovered: the cells, executing processes according to programs defined in their DNAs.

Today we notice that computing is not restricted to solving mathematical problems, but the basic principles of computing can be used to construct solutions to problems of other areas like Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Sociology, Economy, etc.

The area of Computer Science can give a contribution that is even more relevant than computers: "Computational Thinking" may be used as an essential tool in many scientific areas, as well as to solve common everyday problems.

Did Twitter save Bletchley Park?

Bletchley Park is the historic site of secret British codebreaking activities during World War II and birthplace of the modern computer.

The work carried out there is said to have shortened the war by two years, possibly saving 22 million lives.

Yet despite its historical importance, when Dr Sue Black visited the park, now a museum, in July 2008, she was appalled at the state of decay it had fallen into, and started a campaign to save it from being lost to the nation.

Dr Black, a Senior Research Associate at University College London, will discuss how the use of social media, particularly Twitter, helped save Bletchley Park.

She will describe the Saving Bletchley Park campaign, exploring the effectiveness of traditional versus social media, highlighting how the use of social media contributed greatly to campaign success.

Since the campaign started, visitor numbers have increased, along with public awareness of the contribution of the site to world heritage and the history of the computer. Recently the Park received £4.6 million funding from the UK Heritage Lottery Fund.

Decidable and Undecidable Problems: The Legacy of Alan Turing

Alan Turing, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and British computer scientist, was instrumental in the development of computer science and provided a formalization of the concept of algorithm and computation, through the idealized mathematical model of the "Turing machine".

Having played an important role in breaking the ENIGMA code machine used by the German army in World War II, he has gone from war hero to an out-of-law subject to forced-hormonal chemical treatment because of his homosexuality.

In honor of the centenary of his birth, in this talk we will reflect on the legacy of this man who was at the same time national hero and a threat to the British state.

His legacy was of paramount importance in the consolidation of computer science, in the notion of an universal machine as well as in the theory of mathematical decidability problems, Turing pioneered the demonstration that some mathematical problems are undecidable, like Hilbert's tenth problem.

Some byproducts of his theoretical research, such as the general purpose computer and the notion of artificial intelligence, served as the basis for what many call the "Fourth Technological Revolution - The Information Revolution".

Alan Turing and the Computing Revolution: Ten Big Ideas that Changed the World

Alan Turing did an amazing amount during his short life - a short list of what makes him remembered includes:

• How at the age of 23, he came up with the idea of the "stored program" universal computing machine, basically the blueprint for every computer in existence today;
• His leading role in breaking the German Enigma code at the secret decoding centre at Bletchley Park, helping shorten the 2nd World War by two years with his ground-breaking involvement in building and fully exploiting decoding machines;
• And the innovative and original work in bringing mathematics to bear on important problems in biology and medicine.

In this talk we look at Turing's ideas and enduring impact on academic research, the IT industry and the wider world we live in.

And we outline some of his visionary insights which point to a new generation of "intelligent" computers. We assume no specialist knowledge,but be prepared to be challenged!