Simon Singh Quote
Imagined a machine whose internal workings could be altered so that it could perform all the functions of all conceivable Turing machines. The alterations would be made by inserting carefully selected tapes, which transformed the single flexible machine into a dividing machine, a multiplying machine, or any other type of machine. Turing called this hypothetical device a universal Turing machine because it would be capable of answering any question that could logically be answered. Unfortunately, it turned out that it is not always logically possible to answer a question about the undecidability of another question, and so even the universal Turing machine was unable to identify every undecidable question.
Simon Singh
Imagined a machine whose internal workings could be altered so that it could perform all the functions of all conceivable Turing machines. The alterations would be made by inserting carefully selected tapes, which transformed the single flexible machine into a dividing machine, a multiplying machine, or any other type of machine. Turing called this hypothetical device a universal Turing machine because it would be capable of answering any question that could logically be answered. Unfortunately, it turned out that it is not always logically possible to answer a question about the undecidability of another question, and so even the universal Turing machine was unable to identify every undecidable question.
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About Simon Singh
Singh has also produced documentaries and works for television to accompany his books, is a trustee of the National Museum of Science and Industry, a patron of Humanists UK, founder of the Good Thinking Society, and co-founder of the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme.