Alan Turing's
fundamental contributions to computing led
to the development of modern computing technology,
and his work continues to inspire researchers
in computing science and beyond. This book
is the definitive collection of commemorative
essays, and the distinguished contributors
have expertise in such diverse fields as artificial
intelligence, natural computing, mathematics,
physics, cryptology, cognitive studies, philosophy
and anthropology.
The volume spans the entire rich spectrum
of Turing's life, research work and legacy.
New light is shed on the future of computing
science by visionary Ray Kurzweil. Notable
contributions come from the philosopher Daniel
Dennett, the Turing biographer Andrew Hodges,
and the distinguished logician Martin Davis,
who provides a first critical essay on an
emerging and controversial field termed hypercomputation.A
special feature of the book is the play by
Valeria Patera which tackles
the scandal surrounding the last apple, and
presents as an enigma the life, death and
destiny of the man who did so much to decipher
the Enigma code during the Second World War.
Other chapters are modern reappraisals of
Turing's work on computability, and deal with
the major philosophical questions raised by
the Turing Test, while the book also contains
essays addressing his
less well-known ideas on Fibonacci phyllotaxis
and connectionism.
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