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Alan Turing
IQ 185


Table of <span class="fr-tmp fr-em">F</span><span class="fr-tmp fr-sm">F</sAlan Turing was an iconic British mathematician renowned for his contribution to modern computing. A child prodigy who went on to earn his doctorate at Princeton, Alan quickly rose in prominence among codebreakers at Bletchley Park's "Government Code and Cypher School" (GC&CS), where his task consisted of deciphering German codes sent via "Enigma," in constant flux, using his "bombe" device aided with Banburismus technique; eventually this mathematician succeeded in cracking it together with his group of codebreakers!

How intelligent should founders be? Learn about Alan Turing's IQ and life through this article.

I - What is Alan Turing IQ?

Alan Turing IQ chart

Alan Turing had an estimated IQ of 185 and belongs to the top 0.1% worldwide, placing him among super geniuses like Albert Einstein. Although with an IQ of 185, he would fall within this elite 0.1% population. English and French were two subjects where Turing struggled at Sherborne School in Dorset, England. At the same time, his mathematics showed "distinct promise but was marred by messy work, resulting in essays being judged too ambitious for his abilities. Turing was indeed a genius, as his mathematics showed distinct promise. In contrast, his math showed potential but was hindered by messy work, which made his mathematics "show distinct promise, while his essays are overly ambitious for his ability. Turing truly stood as one of his masterpieces before receiving his master's degree: he wrote the second-most influential academic paper of the 20th Century after Albert Einstein's work on general relativity!

II - Alan Turing's Intelligence and Life 

 Alan Turing's Intelligence and Life  

On June 23, 1912, in Paddington, London, Alan Mathison Turing was born to Julius Mathison and Ethel Sara, whose husband Julius worked for what is today known as the "Indian Civil Service." Alan's older brother John would go on to work in England. At the same time, their parents returned home, leaving Alan with foster parents as his family had chosen England over India for raising them. When Alan reached school age, they returned before traveling with Alan when his family left India for France. However, they would return every summer before finally rejoining them again when their parents arrived back.

1. Alan Turing's Education Background 

Once Alan completed elementary education at St Michael's in Liverpool in 1926, he attended Sherborne School in Dorset for secondary studies before enrolling at King's College at Cambridge in 1931 and earning honors in mathematics three years later. By 1935, he had begun work towards earning fellowship status through King's College while writing "On Computable Numbers with Application to the Entscheidungsproblem."

Alan found a book called Reading Without Tears while falling behind in several subjects and taught himself to read in three weeks. At St Michael's Primary School, where he studied Latin in 1918, his headmistress was amazed and noted: ''With an IQ of 185, Alan is truly one of a kind."

Alan Turing believed that such machines could process virtually everything quantifiable - this led to the birth of modern computing. Alonzo Church, an esteemed American logician, taught Alan at Princeton between 1936 and 1938 under Alonzo Church's tutelage 1936 and 1938 while providing instruction on both cryptology lessons as well as math ones - eventually earning his Ph.D. there towards its conclusion; Ludwig Wittgenstein continued instructing Alan after this point at "University of Cambridge."

Alan Turing's academic journey shines when his brilliant mind exhibits qualities characteristic of true genius since school.

Alan Turing slate statue.

Alan Turing slate statue.

2. Alan Turing IQ's Intelligence and Career

This scientist is widely credited with creating modern computer concepts. By conceptualizing his "Turing Machine," which could solve any algorithm that could be measured or quantified, Alan Turing created what we now refer to as computers.

a. Cryptanalysis and Early Computers

Alan Turing's high IQ of 185 played was instrumental to him playing an instrumental role in deciphering German military codes during World War II at Bletchley Park's General Code and Cypher School (GCCS), where he made five notable contributions to cryptanalysis - specifically specifying bombes as electromechanical decoding tools used for decrypting Enigma signals. Additionally, Turing contributed to decryption processes through two papers on mathematical decryption techniques that the Code and Cypher School held onto until April 2012 before making them accessible via the National Archives UK (GCHQ).

Midway through the 1940s, Turing settled in London and began his work at the National Physical Laboratory. While at NPL, he led design work for an Automatic Computing Engine and created an advanced blueprint for store-program computers (two of his major achievements at this facility). While no complete ACE ever materialized due to limitations due to technology preventing its completion nonetheless, its concept was influential enough that other computers influenced by it for decades, such as English Electric DEUCEs or even American Bendix G-15's thought process; many consider G-15 to be its predecessor in terms of design influence alone!

Turing held crucial roles in Manchester's computing lab and the Department of Mathematics during his late 1940s tenure at the University. In the 1950 "Computing Machinery and Intelligence," Turing introduced artificial intelligence; additionally, he established his "Turing Test," an experiment meant to serve as a standard benchmark in intelligence design across technology spheres since its conception over six decades ago. This influence can still be felt today!

b. Awards, Recognition and Royal Pardon

After World War II, Turing received the Order of the British Empire. His biographer, Andrew Hodges, unveiled an English Heritage blue plaque at his childhood home to commemorate what would have been Turing's 86th birthday if alive today.

Alan Turing gained widespread acclaim, particularly in Manchester, where he completed his final employment. Furthermore, Alan Turing's genius can be witnessed through his widely recognized contributions to computer science; many consider him its "founder."

Bank of England announced in July 2019 that the new PS50 note for the UK will feature images and print his face, among around 1,000 public nominees, including mathematician Ada Lovelace and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. Turing was selected from these names.

III -  Ten Lessons Alan Turing Taught Us About Solving Problems

Occasionally, our minds must wander, depart from beaten paths, and search for solutions no one expected. Alan Turing unintentionally taught us several instructive lessons about problem-solving and design that made for enjoyable evening entertainment - without intentionally doing it himself! Unfortunately, obstacles will appear along your journey toward success; you can learn something from Alan's life without needing such high IQ scores as his. Here are ten such lessons we can learn from him:

  1. Hierarchies do not generate creative solutions.
  2. Any successful design requires cooperation. Even genius requires a team effort.
  3. One can only speculate how far more advanced humanity would have been if women hadn't been subjected to centuries of oppression.
  4. The design incorporates chance. Turing's breakthroughs occur only when his mind is forced to absorb some messages other than what has occupied it solely - something which was quite impossible given how focused and obsessed with breaking an encryption puzzle he was.
  5. Disruptive technology may seem incomprehensible for those accustomed to operating within established frameworks.
  6. Social abilities play a pivotal role in team motivation. Merely realizing that working as part of a group is more efficient at solving problems cannot be used as leverage against team members; social abilities must engage and motivate a group, yet often come off as being at odds with creative thought processes.
  7. Diversity across disciplines aids design and problem-solving processes. Although Turing found most of his coworkers annoying, having a team composed of individuals from varied backgrounds, genders, and interests was crucial in completing his project.
  8. Ideologies may undermine brilliant plans.
  9. Competition fosters innovative thinking.
  10. Your job is still ongoing once the initial issue has been addressed.

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