Friday, September 18, 2009

Also Via Language Log

Alan Turing

here's a toast to Alan Turing
born in harsher, darker times
who thought outside the container
and loved outside the lines
and so the code-breaker was broken
and we're sorry
yes now the s-word has been spoken
the official conscience woken—
very carefully scripted
but at least it's not encrypted
—and the story does suggest
a part 2 to the Turing Test:
1. can machines behave like humans?
2. can we?

(by Matt Harvey, published here)

1 comment:

dorki said...

I think the answer to part two of the Turing Test is a decided Yes. Unfortunately, to call someone human is to give the grandest complement and the and the most vile curse at the same time.