Annotated Bibliography
The essential Turing: Seminal writings in computing, logic, philosophy, artificial intelligence and artificial life plus the secrets of the enigma- Alan Turning, edited by B.Jack. Copland
Can be used as primary source as it’s his own work. What he wrote on enigma would be worth a look at.
The incomputable Alan Turing, S. Barry Cooper, https://arxiv.org/abs/1206.1706?
“Turing had played a key role in pushing forwards the boundaries of machine intelligence, had struggled with newly discovered theoretical and practical obstacles to computability, and humanly confronted the parallel realities of a world out of control.”
Can use for background context and to get a sense of the consensus of thought that historians have reached about him. Would also be good to look at historians’ writings pre 1970 when the general public was informed about Bletchley Park and his role in winning the war, to determine whether the narrative on him changed much, but also discuss his death and the circumstances surrounding, ie his conviction for being gay and the castration, did this influence writing about him in a negative way? Bias, homophobia?
At a quick glance most historians agree that he was an incredible man but would be good to find counter arguments?
Letter to Turning Guiseppe Longo 2018 https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy-s1.stir.ac.uk/doi/10.1177/0263276418769733
some of the problems that we face, more than half a century later, including some that follow in the wake of your inventions.
Discusses his work and the lasting effects again positive but perhaps some bias that could be found, read deeper into each source for bits that are affected by cultural and personal perimeters.
Viewpoint Why Did Computer Science Make a Hero Out of Turing? Comparing the legacy of Alan Turing in computer science with that of Carl Friedrich Gauss in mathematics.
http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?EbscoContent=dGJyMMvl7ESeqLY40dvuOLCmsEiep7FSrqa4SLaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPGnskmzqLNIuePfgeyx43zx1%2B6B&T=P&P=AN&S=R&D=bth&K=101119743
How did the culture and social norms at the time effect how narratives were written?
Primary sources- Newspaper articles written at the time he was prosecuted and how the media coverage influenced historians at the time. And again, compared to newspaper articles in the 1970s and even modern ones about the queen pardoning him.
Primary sources from the year he died, The Times.
The comment his brother made is worth analyzing, and the article itself within the newspaper; it is a small article surrounded by big headlines and adverts suggesting that it wasn’t important news, again worth looking further into this and discussing why.
Also, notable black women in computer science, like Turing their role in key historical events overlooked/forgotten/ undermined by gender or sexuality,
Nasa women- Annie J Easly
Dorothy J Vaughan
Same kind of idea as Turing, why were these women forgotten, look at social and cultural issues, black women in the 1960s. Primary sources from the time to see if there is any mention and what historians said if anything. Then compare to what the media/historians said when it became more of a discussed topic.
Margot Lee Shetterly: Hidden figures.
Try and create a bridge between Turing and these women, could also compare what male historians and women historians’ narratives depict.
Mabel Keaton Staupers- Instrumental in implementing