Computing Gallery

Alan Turing, British mathematician

Alan Turing. Caricature of the British mathematician Alan Turing (1912-54). In 1937 Turing described a theoretical computer (a Turing machine) in rigorous mathematical terms, formalising the previously vague concept of computability. During the Second World War he worked as a code breaker at Bletchley Park, Britain's codebreaking centre. In 1939-40 Turing and Cambridge mathematician, Gordon Welchman, designed the British Bombe, which could break any Enigma-enciphered message. In later years he worked on Artificial Intelligence, devising the Turing test to decide whether a computer can be thought of as truly intelligent'. Turing committed suicide when prosecuted for his homosexuality, a criminal offence at the time

© GARY BROWN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Quantum cryptography equipment

Quantum cryptography. Eye of an observer reflected in a mirror in quantum cryptography apparatus. Quantum cryptography is based on the principle of entanglement, a property of a pair of particles in which a change to one has an instantaneous effect on the other, no matter how far apart they are. Cryptography in this case refers to the encoding of data so that only specified targets can access it. If the sender and the receiver of the data share entanglement then any data is only readable by them alone. This is more secure than existing encryption methods, most of which rely on mathematical algorithms. Photographed at the lab of Anton Zeilinger at Vienna University, Austria

© VOLKER STEGER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Type AN 5835-1 dead reckoning computer owned by Fenton B. Sands, 1944-1948. Creator: J. B

Flight computer belonging to Tuskegee Airman Dr. Fenton B. Sands, an African-American First Lieutenant Navigator-Bombardier with the 617th Bombardment Squadron of the 477th Composite Group during World War II. He was a member of the very first 22 black navigator-bombardiers. A dead reckoning computer with yellow plastic base with a green grid. Black circular dials on either side of a slide with yellow print indicating degrees and cardinal points. A clear plastic ruler is attached to the back. Degrees and measurements included are in black. Black circular rings are held together with wire on one side. Text on a black circular ring includes manufacturer's information and an object name: [J.B. CARROL CO. ORDER NO (11-107) 44-10669 / MANUFACTURERS PART NO. 100 / COMPUTER, DEAD RECKONING / TYPE AN 5835-1]

© Heritage Art/Heritage Images