SORRY about that, old chap. On 10 September the UK government belatedly apologised for its treatment of mathematician Alan Turing, who in 1952 was convicted of gross indecency for having a homosexual relationship. As an alternative to prison, Turing took hormone injections to reduce his libido. 鈥淗is treatment was of course utterly unfair,鈥� said Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
鈥淎s an alternative to prison, Turing took hormone injections to reduce his libido鈥�
A organised by had called for the apology, which came hours after New Scientist published Graham-Cumming鈥檚 article on the subject (12 September, p 24).
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Turing died in 1954 after eating part of an apple containing cyanide. Although it was almost certainly suicide, the possibility of murder or even accidental contamination can鈥檛 be ruled out. 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 need a large amount to give a toxic dose,鈥� says John Thompson of the UK National Poisons Information Service.
