Alan Turing: The Father of the Computer

This week, instead of my usual take on timely events, I want to give you something different: historical knowledge about a man whose work touches your life every single day. Most of you never even heard his name.

Alan Turing was a British mathematician whose ideas became the foundation of every modern computer. Long before laptops, smartphones, or the internet existed, Turing imagined a machine that could follow instructions, store information, and solve problems. That idea, called the Turing Machine, is the blueprint behind the devices we carry in our pockets.

During World War II, Turing’s brilliance became a secret weapon. At Bletchley Park in Great Britian, he led the effort to crack German secret codes, designing electromechanical machines that could sift through millions of possibilities faster than any human. These machines were the precursors to modern computers. Historians estimate Turing's work shortened the war by up to two years and saved countless lives.

And here’s the part that always stops me: Turing arrived at the concept of the computer because he was trying to break those German codes. The pressure of wartime cryptanalysis pushed him to imagine a machine that could think logically; a machine that could do what humans could not do fast enough. In solving one of the greatest puzzles of the war, he accidentally invented the future.

Despite his genius and his service, Turing was persecuted for being gay, at a time when it was a crime in Britain. He died, just 41 years old, never seeing the explosion of innovation his ideas unleashed. He never lived to see personal computers, smartphones, or the digital world built on his work.

This week, I give you a tribute: the story of the man who imagined the computer before the world was ready for it. A man whose ideas live inside every device we use, every message we send, and every piece of technology that shapes our daily lives. Turing was known to eat an apple every night. Even though the apple logo wasn't created for him, I choose to see it as a quiet nod to the man whose ideas made the computer, and eventually the smart phone, possible.

A Fan of Snow White As a child Turing was fascinated with the animated film. This was perhaps a sad glimpse into his future. They found a cyanide laced apple on his nightstand the day he died. A tragic end to a hero who gave so much. I think of him when I see the apple.

I am truly shocked by how much Mr. Turing's invention has changed my life. As a writer and as a dentist, I feel obligated to honor Alan Turing. His brilliance and dedication have made so much possible. I would not have published a book, taken a digital x-ray, or had a world information at my fingertips without the gift of his genius. Alan Turing. His vision has affected us all. Have a great week ... Joanne