From Turing’s original paper:
Interrogator: In the first line of your sonnet which reads “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,” would not “a spring day” do as well or better? Witness: It wouldn’t scan. Interrogator: How about “a winter’s day,” That would scan all right. Witness: Yes, but nobody wants to be compared to a winter’s day. Interrogator: Would you say Mr. Pickwick reminded you of Christmas? Witness: In a way. Interrogator: Yet Christmas is a winter’s day, and I do not think Mr. Pickwick would mind the comparison. Witness: I don’t think you’re serious. By a winter’s day one means a typical winter’s day, rather than a special one like Christmas.
Interrogator: In the first line of your sonnet which reads “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,” would not “a spring day” do as well or better?
Witness: It wouldn’t scan.
Interrogator: How about “a winter’s day,” That would scan all right.
Witness: Yes, but nobody wants to be compared to a winter’s day.
Interrogator: Would you say Mr. Pickwick reminded you of Christmas?
Witness: In a way.
Interrogator: Yet Christmas is a winter’s day, and I do not think Mr. Pickwick would mind the comparison.
Witness: I don’t think you’re serious. By a winter’s day one means a typical winter’s day, rather than a special one like Christmas.
Yes, I think Turing was very mistaken in his impression of what an “average” interrogator would be like.
This compensated for his over-optimism on the progress of computers, giving him an ok prediction by chance.
From Turing’s original paper:
Yes, I think Turing was very mistaken in his impression of what an “average” interrogator would be like.
This compensated for his over-optimism on the progress of computers, giving him an ok prediction by chance.