He accepted chemical castration treatment, with DES, as an alternative to prison. Turing died in 1954, 16 days before his 42nd birthday, from cyanide poisoning.
How was Alan Turing treated by the British government?
Apr 24, 2009 · I hope they’re right.” Turing was never the same again. His body became feminized. He grew breasts. Fatal Treatment for a Fictitious Disease. On June 8, 1954, Turing was found dead by his housekeeper, a partly eaten apple laced with cyanide next to his bed. At the inquest, the coroner ruled his death a suicide.
What did Alan Turing do to Arnold Murray?
Jul 16, 2020 · Turing was arrested and convicted of gross indecency. He was given a choice: prison, or a series of injections of synthetic estrogen — chemical castration, which eventually rendered him impotent. Because of his conviction his security clearance was removed and he was barred from continuing his cryptography work.
What went wrong with the Alan Turing Ace?
The posthumous royal pardon granted to war-time code breaker and computer pioneer Alan Turing was a long overdue attempt to put right a grave injustice. Turing had been convicted of homosexuality in 1952, under the same nineteenth century ‘gross indecency’ law that sent Oscar Wilde to prison in 1895. Given the option of jail or chemical castration, he chose the latter.
What was Alan Turing's posthumous pardon?
Jun 07, 2019 · Turing’s own counsel hoped to steer the court away from a prison sentence, and alluded to the possibility of organotherapy: “There is treatment which could be given him.
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Nov 29, 2014 · Turing had not contested the charges—he gave an explicitly detailed admission of them. He had invited a 19-year-old drifter named Arnold Murray to his house and they had had consensual sex.
Who was Alan Turing?
Alan Mathison Turing (1912–1954) was one of the legendary geniuses of the twentieth century. The only child of a middle-class English family, the Cambridge-educated Turing played a crucial role in breaking the German Enigma code during World War II, an achievement often credited with saving Britain from defeat in the dark days of 1941. Because of the secrecy surrounding the British code-breaking effort, for a long time only a few colleagues and high-ranking politicians were aware of Turing’s towering contribution to science and the war effort.
What was the role of Turing in World War II?
The only child of a middle-class English family, the Cambridge-educated Turing played a crucial role in breaking the German Enigma code during World War II, an achievement often credited with saving Britain from defeat in the dark days of 1941. Because of the secrecy surrounding the British code-breaking effort, ...
Where did Alan Turing work?
In 1938, having been awarded a Ph.D. in mathematics, Turing returned to Cambridge and was soon working at Bletchley Park, the famous British code-breaking “factory.”. When the war ended, Turing moved to Manchester where the university created a special readership in the theory of computing for him. In 1951 Turing began a homosexual relationship ...
Who was Alan Turing's psychiatrist?
Turing’s psychiatrist, Dr. Frank M. Greenbaum, vehemently rejected the coroner’s diagnosis, though not by contesting the claims that engaging in homosexual conduct and self-killing are evidence of diseases curable by doctors. “There is not the slightest doubt to me that Alan died by an accident,” declared Greenbaum.
Is psychiatry based on biological science?
The identification of psychiatry with medical healing and humane helpfulness is factually false and morally deceptive, concealing an existential trap with untold-of potentialities for injury and death for the entrapped. More successfully than ever, the modern “biological” psychiatrist misrepresents his profession as based on biological science and medical discovery, while more than ever it is based on pseudoscience and therapeutic deception.
Why did Alan Turing wear a gas mask?
But at the time, Alan Turing was just another slightly eccentric academic who wore a gas mask when he rode his bicycle because of his allergies, and if he didn't ride his bicycle would run almost everywhere else, at least in part to relieve job stress.
Was Alan Turing gay?
As Biography reports, in 1952, Turing called the police regarding a break-in. During the course of the investigation Turing admit ted that he'd had a sexual relationship with the perpetrator, a 19-year-old man named Arnold Murray.
Why was Turing arrested?
Turing was arrested and convicted of gross indecency. He was given a choice: prison, or a series of injections of synthetic estrogen — chemical castration, which eventually rendered him impotent. Because of his conviction his security clearance was removed and he was barred from continuing his cryptography work.
Who was the king of England in 1533?
In 1533, King Henry VIII ruled England. At that point he'd been on the throne for better than 20 years and was going to stay there until his death on January 28, 1547. It was an important year in English history: Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon was annulled that year, and it was the year he married Anne Boleyn.
What was the cause of the death of the sailor?
The death was ruled a suicide; the cause was cyanide poisoning, probably by dosing the apple found half-eaten near the body. It wasn't until 1967 that England decriminalized homosexual activity. In 2009 the government officially apologized for its treatment of Turing.
What is Turing test?
The Turing Test is still one of the best known assessments of whether a machine possesses intelligence, while Turing machines were an important part of our Theory of Computation subject. There is also the Turing Award, named in his honour and widely considered the Nobel Prize of Computer Science.
What happened to Turing in the play?
One of the pivotal moments in the play was when Turing was being quizzed by a policeman about inconsistencies in his burglary story, and admitted that he was having an affair with a man and was trying to protect him. Instantly the mood changed, as the policeman tried to draw out the details of this new and much more serious crime that Turing had confessed.
Why did Alan Turing receive the OBE?
During the war, Alan Turing had been one of the key members of the team decoding German Enigma messages. He took on problems no-one else would take on and succeeded. This gave vital intelligence to the Allied war effort and was specifically supported by Churchill as priority work. He was also sent to the US to assist their war efforts. Fittingly, he received the OBE in 1946 for his role during the war.
When did the English laws change?
In 1967, English laws were amended so that actions like Turing’s were no longer considered a crime. In subsequent years, the other parts of the UK similarly amended their laws.
Was Alan Turing pardoned?
The hidden homophobic shame of the NHS. The posthumous royal pardon granted to war-time code breaker and computer pioneer Alan Turing was a long overdue attempt to put right a grave injustice. Turing had been convicted of homosexuality in 1952, under the same nineteenth century ‘gross indecency’ law that sent Oscar Wilde to prison in 1895.
When was homosexuality legalized in the UK?
Most people think homosexuality was legalised in the UK in 1967 . It wasn’t. The Sexual Offences Acts that year was a very limited, partial decriminalisation (non-enforcement of the law) that only applied to England and Wales. It was not extended to Scotland until 1980 and to Northern Ireland until 1982.
Who is Alan Turing?
Turing wrote a short story. Although only a few pages long and incomplete, it offers an intimate glimpse of its author. The central character — a scientist by the name of Alec Pryce, who works at Manchester University — is a thinly disguised Alan Turing. Pryce, like Turing himself, always wore what Turing described as “an old sports coat ...
Who was Turing's friend?
The mathematician Max Newman, Turing’s long-time friend, was called as a character witness. “He is completely absorbed in his work, and is one of the most profound and original mathematical minds of his generation,” Newman said. It must have been good to hear these words, even on such a black day.
Who is Jack Copeland?
Jack Copeland FRS NZ is Distinguished Professor in Arts at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where he is Director of the Turing Archive for the History of Computing.
Selected Press Releases
Alan Turing is crowned the most iconic figure of the 20th century, dailymail, 6 February 2019.
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What is the drug used for castration?
The drug cyproterone acetate has been commonly used for chemical castration throughout Europe. It resembles the drug MPA used in America. A law allowing voluntary chemical castration was created in the UK in 2007 by then home secretary John Reid.
When was chemical castration first used?
The first use of chemical castration occurred in 1944, when diethylstilbestrol was used with the purpose of lowering men's testosterone. The antipsychotic agent benperidol was sometimes used to diminish sexual urges in people who displayed as then thought inappropriate sexual behavior, and were likewise given by depot injection. But benperidol does not affect testosterone and is therefore not a castration agent. Chemical castration was often seen as an easier alternative to life imprisonment or the death penalty because it allowed the release of the convicted.
What is chemical castration?
Chemical castration is castration via anaphrodisiac drugs, whether to reduce libido and sexual activity, to treat cancer, or otherwise. Unlike surgical castration, where the gonads are removed through an incision in the body, chemical castration does not remove organs, nor is it a form of sterilization.
Is castration reversible?
Chemical castration is generally considered reversible when treatment is discontinued, although permanent effects in body chemistry can sometimes be seen, as in the case of bone density loss increasing with length of use of DMPA . In May 2016, The New York Times reported that a number of countries use chemical castration on sex offenders, ...
What is leuprolide acetate used for?
Leuprolide acetate is an LHRH agonist that is most commonly used in chemical castration today. This drug has been observed as having higher rates of success in reducing abnormal sexual urges and fantasies, but is often reserved for those offenders who are at a high risk of reoffending due to the drug's intense effects.
Will rapists be hanged in 2020?
In 2020, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan told a journalist that he would prefer that rapists and child molesters be publicly hanged, but he added that, because he imagined that such capital punishment would gain negative attention for Pakistan on the international stage, he would instead like such offenders to "undergo chemical castration, or surgery be performed so they cannot do anything in future." The Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020, accorded approval in December 2020, allows for chemical castration of rapists without the consent of the offender.
Is chemical castration a form of sterilization?
Unlike surgical castration, where the gonads are removed through an incision in the body, chemical castration does not remove organs, nor is it a form of sterilization.
His Work
The Play
A Crime?
- One of the pivotal moments in the play was when Turing was being quizzed by a policeman about inconsistencies in his burglary story, and admitted that he was having an affair with a man and was trying to protect him. Instantly the mood changed, as the policeman tried to draw out the details of this new and much more serious crime that Turing had confessed. Later this led to hi…
A Disgrace to The Family?
- So what was his mother’s first response when he stammeringly broke the news that he was homosexual and was to be brought to trial for it? “I’m glad your father is dead. He was so proud of you.” Even as an impartial audience member those words felt like a slap in the face (it is not for nothing that coming out as an atheist is sometimes compared with coming out as gay). Yes, it w…
The War Hero
- During the war, Alan Turing had been one of the key members of the team decoding German Enigma messages. He took on problems no-one else would take on and succeeded. This gave vital intelligence to the Allied war effort and was specifically supported by Churchill as priority work. He was also sent to the US to assist their war efforts. Fittingly, h...
The Value of A High Profile Example
- Alan Turing provided a high profile example of the problems caused by an unjust law. And that can be good for raising awareness. But the important thing is that the law wasunjust. I don’t think we want people like Alan Turing to be above the law. We don’t want them to get special treatment because they are war heroes, or because they are brilliant thinkers. Instead, we want it to be rec…
A Law Change, An Apology and A Pardon
- In 1967, English laws were amended so that actions like Turing’s were no longer considered a crime. In subsequent years, the other parts of the UK similarly amended their laws. In 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologised on behalf of the British government for Turing’s conviction. He acknowledged that the effects of the conviction could not be reversed, but said “we’re sorry, you …
The Christadelphian Response
- I spent at least my first 25 years thinking homosexuality was wrong, based on my understanding of the Bible. I wasn’t entirely comfortable with this, so it’s not surprising that when I rejected the Bible I also rejected the idea that homosexuality was wrong. But even before I accepted homosexuality I recognised how unhelpful the Christadelphian response to it was. It seemed tha…
Words Matter
- The word “homosexuality” can have negative connotations, and many style guides now encourage the use of “gay” and “lesbian”, or of umbrella terms like “LGBTI”. So far, I’ve used the word because that is what the play used, and that is what we used in Christadelphian discussion groups. But my usage also reflects the fact that I was unaware of these broader categories while I was a Christa…
Towards Greater Acceptance
- Nowadays, the LGBTI community has much greater acceptance in the UK, in Australia, and across the Western world. Not only have offences like the one Turing was charged with been struck from the books, but many of these countries now recognise civil partnerships and same-sex marriage (though in the case of Australia the process to get there was highly divisive). However, just maki…