Alan Turing

[Corina]

He died exactly 55 years ago. What an interesting man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing

[Vince]

Wow.. nice read.. thanks!

[gregf]

Anyone with an interest in Bletchley Park, Alan Turing or WW2
should look very closely at an old science fiction movie called
"5 million years To Earth" or "Quartermass and the Pitt".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatermass ... Pit_(film).

It is an allegory of Turing's role in defeating Fascism.

Turing had a leading role at Bletchley Park, where the Enigma
codes were broken giving the Allies an immense edge in WW2.

The movie is full of metaphors, but mainly that the Martian
culture, which worships violence is symbolic of Fascism, the
evil that comes from below.

Professor Quartermass defeats Fascism but only because of the
help of his brilliant assistant (who does not have a girlfriend).

It raises the point that while we were happy to have a homosexual's help
in stopping the Nazis, why didn't our society show more respect to him ?

And you thought old science fiction movies were shallow.

[Corina]

You are right, in so many Hollywood films the evil aliens aiming to "conquer the Earth" are actually a metaphor of Fascism, which was used and over-used - that is why maybe Tim Burton made that brilliant, parodic film "Mars attacks!".

And I don`t know how many people noticed that Tom & Jerry are actually personifications! The first cartoons with them were made during the WW 2...