What is the biggest invention of the 20th century?
Many might say the computer, and they might be right, “the computer” idea have been progressing since the 19th century, especially when Charles Babbage, Considered the “father of the computer”, invented the first mechanical computer in the early 19th century.
But the First modern computer was invented by Alan Turing, he introduced the notion of programming computers,by introducing the notion of a ‘Universal Machine’ , with the idea that such a machine could perform the tasks of any other machine, thus capable of computing anything that is computable by executing a program stored on tape.
This Guy, Alan, was part of a team that broke the Nazi code, and helped the Allies win decisive battles, like in Stalingrad, amongst others. Alan was actually the head of the team, and he almost single handily invented the machine that broke the code (according to his biography movie: the imitation game).
After the war, Alan was robbed, but when he reported the robbery the investigators discovered he was gay, he was convicted, and chemically castrated. At the time he was working on his universal machine, this guy convicted, have seen his lifework ruined, reputation ruined, and access to certain facilities prohibited … he took his life by poison, following the snow white scenario.
Imagine if this guy never existed, the 3rd Reich might have conquered Europe, computers most probably would be still very basic. Now imagine if this guy was never convicted for being gay, the computers and technology we would have now in 2015 would be years more advanced than what we actually have, technology lost a couple decades of potential advancement because our grandparents were less tolerant!
I am a straight guy, married, and do not have any agenda in writing this article, but reality is, we do not know where the next Einstein, Beethoven or Alan Turing will come from. We are all on this earth together, and we need the effort and creativity of every person, to advance and make it a better place for the future generations.
The trailer of the imitation game movie:
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