Alan Turing's original paper on machines and intelligrence was written in 1950. This paper is 22 pages long. Some of it is hard to read. To help you understand the paper, and to enable to discuss the paper in class on Monday, I have prepared the following reading guide.

I expect it might take 2 or more hours to read and fill in the reading guide. Print out this guide and fill in the blanks. Bring both your marked up paper, and your filled in guide to class.

1. Print out a copy of the paper. Mark up the paper as you read. Bring the marked up version of the paper to class. I will inspect your copy of the paper to see that you have done this.
   • Circle things you don't understand. Write down questions, such that if you had the answers to these question, they might help you understand the circled parts.
   • If you read something you feel is important, underline or highlight it. Keep in mind, too much highlighting is way worse than too little.
   • If you realize that there is an idea in the paper, that reminds you of something else. Make a note in the margin about what it reminded you of.
   
   
2. After you read be sure you know the meaning of the following terms. Write a sentence or two to describe each on of the following.
   • What does Turing mean when he says "A Human Computer"
     
     
     
   • What is a universal Machine?
     
     
     
   • Paraphrase Turings "Theological Objection".
     
     
     
   • What is a Solipsist view? You might need to use a dictionary or other reference guide.
     
     
     
3. It is important to have an historical perspective on some things. See if you can find answers to the following questions.
   
   • What did Charles Babbage propose?
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Use the Internet or library. Other than Babbage, who else has held the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cabridge University? List 1 or 2 who you have heard of before.
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • Turing states: "Until fairly recently a storage capacity of even a thousand digits was very rare." Is this a lot? How many digits of storage capacity are available on your laptop? Assume 1 byte = 1 digit.
     
     
     
     
     
     
4. I have printed 3 quotes from the paper below. Try and explain what point Turing was trying to make when he wrote each.
   
   
   • It may be used to help in making up its own programmes, or to predict the effect of alterations in its own structure. By observing the results of its own behaviour it can modify its own programmes so as to achieve some purpose more effectively.
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • What does Turing mean when he says, "There does seem to be one for the human mind. The majority of them seem to be "subcritical," i.e., to correspond in this analogy to piles of subcritical size."
     
     
     
     
     
     
   • At my present rate of working I produce about a thousand digits of programs a day, so that about sixty workers, working steadily through the fifty years might accomplish the job, if nothing went into the wastepaper basket. Some more expeditious method seems desirable.
     
     
     
     
     
     

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