ClockEndGooner - Slashdot User

Submission + - No. 10 Downing Street Issues An Apology To Turing (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by

ClockEndGooner

on Friday September 11, 2009 @01:30PM

ClockEndGooner writes: "The BBC has posted an article that the British Prime Minister's office has issued an apology to the late Alan Turing for his sentencing and treatment after his arrest, conviction, and therapy he was subjected to in the 1950s.

"Fifty-five years after the mathematician committed suicide, Downing Street has apologised for the "appalling" way in which he was treated because of his sexuality."

Also from the article:

"Turing's personal life came to media attention after computer programmer Dr John Graham-Cumming started a petition asking for a posthumous apology — thousands of people signed it, including Stephen Fry, Ian McEwan and scientist Richard Dawkins."

"Prime Minister Gordon Brown has now apologised for how he was dealt with in the 1950s."

He said that "on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan's work I am very proud to say: we're sorry, you deserved so much better."

Now, could a posthumous knighthood be forthcoming in the New Year?"

Submission + - Mapping The Moon Before Galileo

Submitted by

ClockEndGooner

on Wednesday January 14, 2009 @01:51PM

ClockEndGooner writes: "The BBC has posted an interesting piece on a British contemporary of Galileo who observed the surface of the moon and drew up a more complete set of lunar before the much celebrated Florentine. The first lunar cartographer, Thomas Harriot, who also made an early visit to the Jamestown colony in Virginia, observed the moon with an early telescope and mapped his observations five months before Galileo.

Noted British astronomer, Sir Patrick Moore, is quoted in the article:
"I'm sorry Harriot isn't better known over here... after all, we all know Galileo. But Harriot was first... and his map of the Moon is better than Galileo's."

Harriot's achievement may not have been as well known, since he deliberately kept a low profile as two of his friends were imprisoned in the Tower of London for political crimes."

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