[Cryptography] Farewall, Alan Turing

[Tom Mitchell]

On Sun, Jun 7, 2015 at 11:48 AM, Grant Schultz <gschultz at kc.rr.com> wrote:
>
> Dave Horsfall wrote:
> >Died 1954, from a cyanide-laced apple.
>
....

>
> Another theory is that it was accidental, as he apparently had an
> electroplating apparatus set up that used potassium cyanide. Fumes perhaps
> got him, or some got on his hands. He may have thought it was mere food
> poisoning, until it was too late.
>

cyanide solutions are very dependant on pH management for safety even when
well diluted.  The gold mines around the world have troubling events from
time
to time that make this point despite the very dilute nature of these leach
solutions.

Apple naturally seeds do contain cyanide at levels easy to detect so a good
chemist would report positive if asked to test.  Modern chemistry tools are
so improved that our expectations are a long way from 1954 reality.

Knowing the truth is not going to happen so I am willing to give him a pass
and would be happy with an electroplating accident.




-- 
  T o m    M i t c h e l l
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