Quotes from Alan Turing

Unless in communicating with it one says exactly what one means, trouble is bound to result.

Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition.

Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.

Mathematical reasoning may be regarded...

No, I'm not interested in developing a powerful brain...

Sometimes it is the people who no one imagined anything of who do the things that no one can imagine

Sometimes it's the people no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.

We are not interested in the fact that the brain has the consistency of cold porridge.

Infine vorrei avanzare qualche congettura sulle ripercussioni che le macchine calcolatrici elettroniche digitali avranno sulla matematica. Ho già accennato al fatto che l'ACE svolgerà il lavoro di circa diecimila calcolatori umani; c'è da aspettarsi dunque che il calcolo manuale su larga scala scomparirà.

La opinión tan generalizada de que los científicos proceden siempre de un hecho bien demostrado a otro hecho bien demostrado, y nunca se dejan influir por una conjetura no probada, es bastante errónea. A condición de que quede bien claro qué son hechos probados y qué son conjeturas, no existe ningún peligro. Las conjeturas son de suma importancia, porque sugieren posibles vías de investigación.

I believe that this danger of the mathematician making mistakes is an unavoidable corollary of his power of sometimes hitting upon an entirely new method. This seems to be confirmed by the well known fact that the most reliable people will not usually hit upon really new methods.

We like to believe that Man is in some subtle way superior to the rest of creation. It is best if he can be shown to be necessarily superior, for then there is no danger of him losing his commanding position.

One day ladies will take their computers for walks in the park and tell each other, "My little computer said such a funny thing this morning".

My little computer said such a funny thing this morning.

I want a permanent relationship, and I might feel inclined to reject anything which of its nature could not be permanent.

Machines take me by surprise with great frequency.

No, I'm not interested in developing a powerful brain. All I'm after is just a mediocre brain, something like the President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.

We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done.

I'm afraid that the following syllogism may be used by some in the future. Turing believes machines think Turing lies with men Therefore machines do not think Yours in distress, Alan

Those who can imagine anything, can create the impossible.

I believe that at the end of the century the use of words and general educated opinion will have altered so much that one will be able to speak of machines thinking without expecting to be contradicted.

If a machine is expected to be infallible, it cannot also be intelligent.

Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.