6 ms·

Bletchley Park codebreaker Margaret Betts has died

217 points by mindracer 3y ago

neonate 3y ago
https://archive.md/tECwJ https://archive.md/tECwJ
bell-cot 3y ago
> “When we said that sounds really exciting, like James Bond spy stuff, she said no, it wasn’t at all like that, it was very humdrum. We were operating machines night and day and it was incredibly boring work most of the time. > “You just had to stand by the machines, you had to concentrate when you were programming it and make sure it was set up correctly, and the rest of the time you were there watching it, waiting for it to come up with something.” Maybe I'm a bit dim...but I've just never gotten over how otherwise-intelligent-seeming people keep defaulting to "the real world is like Hollywood's fantasy spectacles". OTOH, we live in a world where "Gell-Mann Amnesia effect" merits its own Wictionary page. So I probably am at least a bit dim...
- realaleris149 3y ago
  > "You just had to stand by the machines, you had to concentrate when you were programming it and make sure it was set up correctly, and the rest of the time you were there watching it, waiting for it to come up with something." So exactly what we do today too
ydnaclementine 3y ago
Recently watched the Imitation Game as prep for a visit this weekend to the Museum of Computing located at Bletchley Park: https://www.tnmoc.org/ https://www.tnmoc.org/
- PaulRobinson 3y ago
  Be aware TNMOC is separate - but co-located next to - Bletchley Park. You can do both in a day, but they're different tickets and different exhibits. Enjoy your visit!
- jackmott42 3y ago
  For those who have seen the movie and her struggles with sexism to get a job there, it is important to note that in real life the way she got in at Bletchley, was they called her immediately because she was known to be one of the best.
  - jgrahamc 3y ago
    That film is such a mess.
    - jackmott42 3y ago
      Turing talking all weird was also not real, but him being good at running was, in fact he was maybe olympian potential in that era.
    - jackmott42 3y ago
      I don't like how much it alters the real history, but if the movie was fun for anyone, get some good books about the same events and you are in for even more fun! It wasn't just "Break the code, done" in real life, there was back and forth math and engineering battles, it was great stuff.
    - solardev 3y ago
      Is there a better documentary (or book)?
      - MrJohz 3y ago
        I remember The Secret Life of Bletchley Park by Sinclair McKay being very interesting, and that was my first real introduction to Bletchley Park.
      - everly 3y ago
        The Enigma is probably the best biography I've read, though that's specific to Turing
        3y ago
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
ttrrooppeerr 3y ago
Nitpick but dead announcements usually don't include other than the name: https://hn.algolia.com/?q=has+died https://hn.algolia.com/?q=has+died Also, RIP, a true heroine. Also, also, black top, please, dang.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- dylan604 3y ago
  The boring has "died titles" are so lame and not helpful. This immediately told me so much more information. Most of the time, I'm not immediately familiar with a person by name even if their work is much more familiar to me. Associating a reason for their passing being news in the headline is so much more useful.
samstave 3y ago
Its crazy awesome how many revolutions in computing were made of women of (notable) obscurity (meaning their inventions/contributions were not as widely publisized as they should have been. FFS Madame Curie should have inspired a heck-ton more STEM females... But, there are some foundational corner-stones of computing and technology that have been created by females.
- bell-cot 3y ago
  Not that your statements are untrue, or I've anything against women or Ms. Betts, but... The article makes it clear that Mary was nothing remotely resembling an inventor, discoverer, or Madam Curie. Her job was very dull, repetitive clerical work. The men mowing the lawns and replacing burned-out light bulbs were of similar skill. Mary is newsworthy now because she was one of the last survivors of some ~80-years-ago history.
- lolrustasusual 3y ago
  [flagged]
pflanze 3y ago
I wonder what she did after the war given she was talented with logic and programming? She couldn't have used her work as a reference, but she still had experience for a good use.
- efm 3y ago
  Mar Hicks' book Programmed Inequality [1] is some of the story of how post-war Britain lost the lead in computing. [1] https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262535182/programmed-inequality/ https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262535182/programmed-inequality...
pizzaknife 3y ago
cryptonomicon is a fun read

217 points by mindracer 3y ago

https://archive.md/tECwJ https://archive.md/tECwJ

> “When we said that sounds really exciting, like James Bond spy stuff, she said no, it wasn’t at all like that, it was very humdrum. We were operating machines night and day and it was incredibly boring work most of the time. > “You just had to stand by the machines, you had to concentrate when you were programming it and make sure it was set up correctly, and the rest of the time you were there watching it, waiting for it to come up with something.” Maybe I'm a bit dim...but I've just never gotten over how otherwise-intelligent-seeming people keep defaulting to "the real world is like Hollywood's fantasy spectacles". OTOH, we live in a world where "Gell-Mann Amnesia effect" merits its own Wictionary page. So I probably am at least a bit dim...

realaleris149 3y ago
> "You just had to stand by the machines, you had to concentrate when you were programming it and make sure it was set up correctly, and the rest of the time you were there watching it, waiting for it to come up with something." So exactly what we do today too

ydnaclementine 3y ago

Recently watched the Imitation Game as prep for a visit this weekend to the Museum of Computing located at Bletchley Park: https://www.tnmoc.org/ https://www.tnmoc.org/

PaulRobinson 3y ago
Be aware TNMOC is separate - but co-located next to - Bletchley Park. You can do both in a day, but they're different tickets and different exhibits. Enjoy your visit!
jackmott42 3y ago
For those who have seen the movie and her struggles with sexism to get a job there, it is important to note that in real life the way she got in at Bletchley, was they called her immediately because she was known to be one of the best.
- jgrahamc 3y ago
  That film is such a mess.
  - jackmott42 3y ago
    Turing talking all weird was also not real, but him being good at running was, in fact he was maybe olympian potential in that era.
  - jackmott42 3y ago
    I don't like how much it alters the real history, but if the movie was fun for anyone, get some good books about the same events and you are in for even more fun! It wasn't just "Break the code, done" in real life, there was back and forth math and engineering battles, it was great stuff.
  - solardev 3y ago
    Is there a better documentary (or book)?
    - MrJohz 3y ago
      I remember The Secret Life of Bletchley Park by Sinclair McKay being very interesting, and that was my first real introduction to Bletchley Park.
    - everly 3y ago
      The Enigma is probably the best biography I've read, though that's specific to Turing
      - 3y ago

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

ttrrooppeerr 3y ago

Nitpick but dead announcements usually don't include other than the name: https://hn.algolia.com/?q=has+died https://hn.algolia.com/?q=has+died Also, RIP, a true heroine. Also, also, black top, please, dang.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
dylan604 3y ago
The boring has "died titles" are so lame and not helpful. This immediately told me so much more information. Most of the time, I'm not immediately familiar with a person by name even if their work is much more familiar to me. Associating a reason for their passing being news in the headline is so much more useful.

samstave 3y ago

Its crazy awesome how many revolutions in computing were made of women of (notable) obscurity (meaning their inventions/contributions were not as widely publisized as they should have been. FFS Madame Curie should have inspired a heck-ton more STEM females... But, there are some foundational corner-stones of computing and technology that have been created by females.

bell-cot 3y ago
Not that your statements are untrue, or I've anything against women or Ms. Betts, but... The article makes it clear that Mary was nothing remotely resembling an inventor, discoverer, or Madam Curie. Her job was very dull, repetitive clerical work. The men mowing the lawns and replacing burned-out light bulbs were of similar skill. Mary is newsworthy now because she was one of the last survivors of some ~80-years-ago history.
lolrustasusual 3y ago
[flagged]

pflanze 3y ago

I wonder what she did after the war given she was talented with logic and programming? She couldn't have used her work as a reference, but she still had experience for a good use.

efm 3y ago
Mar Hicks' book Programmed Inequality [1] is some of the story of how post-war Britain lost the lead in computing. [1] https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262535182/programmed-inequality/ https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262535182/programmed-inequality...

pizzaknife 3y ago

cryptonomicon is a fun read