How Alan Turing invented the computer, helped win World War II and left us with one of the greatest puzzles of our time: are humans simply computers or are we more than that? Many scientists think we have a tenuous hold on the title, “most intelligent being on the planet”. They think it’s just a matter of time before computers become smarter than us, and then what? This book charts a journey through the science of information, from the origins of language and logic, to the frontiers of modern physics. From Lewis Carroll’s logic puzzles, through Alan Turing and his work on Enigma and the imitation game, to John Bell’s inequality, and finally the Conway-Kochen ‘Free Will’ Theorem. How do the laws of physics give us our creativity, our rich experience of communication and, especially, our free will? Can a computer win the imitation game and pass the Turing Test? Why do creative people make better mates than rich people? Why are humans bad at mathematics, yet so creative? Could an infinite number of monkeys write Hamlet? Is our brain a quantum computer? Is free will an illusion? James Tagg is an inventor and entrepreneur. A pioneer of touchscreen technology, he has founded several companies, including Truphone, the world’s first global mobile network. He holds numerous patents, filed in over a hundred countries. He studied Physics and Computer Science at Manchester University, Design at Lancaster University and Engineering at Cambridge University. He lives with his family on a farm in Kent, England. www.jamestagg.com “I can’t tell you when the last time was that I had this much fun reading and using my brain. From the very beginning, James Tagg had me hooked with the premise; the question of whether or not humans are the most intelligent beings on the planet....” Janet, Netgalley “This is a fantastic book. It seams together cutting edge neuroscience, psychology, thought experiments, artificial intelligence/ machine learning, mathematics and even some history!...” PFJ H