Today the Computer world is celebrating 100 years since the birth of the father of Computers. On the Google+ page they are describing the Google Doodle Alan Turing Google as follows:
“Today we’re marking the birth of someone who is a hero to many of us at Google. Alan Turing was born 100 years ago into a world very different from our own—but he’s a founding father of every computer and Internet company today. In 1936, his paper on computable numbers introduced two key concepts, algorithms and computing machines, which now rank among the most important intellectual breakthroughs of the 20th century.
In the evolution of computing, all paths trace back to Alan Turing—so we’re proud to help commemorate and preserve his legacy. In 2010 we helped raise funds to preserve Alan Turing’s papers at Bletchley Park, and recently we’ve worked with curators at London’s Science Museum on their new exhibition Code breaker – Alan Turing’s Life and Legacy.” And of course, we couldn’t let this occasion pass without a doodle. If you visit our homepage today, you’ll find a simulation of the “Alan Turing machine”—try your hand at programming it.” – By Google+
How to solve the Alan Turing Doodle
To solve the Alan Turing Google Doodle you will need to click on the yellow buttons and on the green play button. It is also important to follow the correct sequence when you want to program the Alan Turing machine to light up the “Google Logo” in color.
In this article we will provide you with a step by step explanation on how to solve the Alan Turing Programming task:
Step 1:
Click on the play button to activate the computer.
Step 2: Change the Zero’s to one’s
Step 3: Click the play button
Step 4: Change the button to blank
Step 5 : Click the play button
Step 6: Change the two zero’s to 4 zero’s
Step 7: Click the play button
Step 8: Change the yellow button to blank
You will see that some of the colors in the Google Logo are now active. The purpose of this Alan Turing Google Doodle is to get all the colors in the Google Doodle to light up!
Step 9: Click on the play button
Step 10: Change the button to blank.
Step 11: Press the play button
Step 12: To complete the Alan Turing Programming task select the button as below:
If you have followed the steps above, all letters in the Google logo should now be highlighted.
A tribute to Alan Turing, the father of modern computing
This is how Google is describing the Tribute to Alan Turing on their blog
“The past is a foreign country—they do things differently there.” It’s a saying that rings especially true in the world of technology. But while innovating requires us to focus on the future, there are times when it’s important to look back. Today – the 100th anniversary of Alan Turing’s birth – is one such moment.
Statue of Alan Turing at Bletchley Park
Alan Turing’s life was one of astounding highs and devastating lows. While his wartime codebreaking saved thousands of lives, his own life was destroyed when he was convicted for homosexuality. But the tragedy of his story should not overshadow his legacy.
“Alan Turing’s insight laid the foundations of the computer age. It’s no exaggeration to say he’s a founding father of every computer and Internet company today.” – Google Blog
Turing’s breakthrough came in 1936 with the publication of his seminal paper “On Computable Numbers”. This introduced two key concepts, “algorithms” and “computing machines”—commonplace terms today, but truly revolutionary in the 1930’s:
Algorithms are, in simplest terms, step-by-step instructions for carrying out a mathematical calculation. This is where it all started for programming since, at its core, all software is a collection of algorithms.
A computing machine – today better known as a Alan Turing machine—was the hypothetical device that Turing dreamed up to run his algorithms.
In the 1930’s, a “computer” was what you called a person who did calculations—it was a profession, not an object. Alan Turing’s paper provided the blueprint for building a machine that could do any computation that a person could, marking the first step towards the modern notion of a computer. Considering the role computers now play in everyday life, it’s clear Alan Turing’s inventions rank among the most important intellectual breakthroughs of the 20th century. In the evolution of computing, all paths trace back to Alan Turing. That’s why Alan Turing is a hero to so many Google engineers, and why we’re so proud to help commemorate and preserve his legacy.
In 2010, Google helped Bletchley Park raise funds to purchase Alan Turing’s papers so they could be preserved for public display in their museum. More recently, we’ve been working closely with curators at London’s Science Museum to help put on a stunning new exhibition “Codebreaker – Alan Turing’s Life and Legacy.” This tells the story of Alan Turing’s vast achievements in a profoundly moving and personal way, through an amazing collection of artifacts – including items loaned by GCHQ, the U.K. government intelligence agency, never before on public display. Topics addressed include Alan Turing’s early years, his code-breaking at Bletchley Park, his designs for the Pilot Ace computer, his later morphogenesis work, as well as his sexuality and death. The exhibition opened on June 21 and is well worth a visit if you’re passing through London in the next year.
And finally, we couldn’t let such a momentous occasion pass without a doodle. We thought the most fitting way of paying tribute to Alan Turing’s incredible life and work would be to simulate the theoretical “Alan Turing machine” he proposed in a mathematical paper. Visit the homepage today— we invite you to try your hand at programming it. If you get it the first time, try again… it gets harder!
Alan Turing was born into a world that was very different, culturally and technologically, from ours – but his contribution has never been more significant. I hope you’ll join me today in paying tribute to Alan Turing, the forefather of modern computing.
Posted by Andrew Eland, Engineering Director, Google U.K. – Source Google Blog
