Hawking, other scientists petition UK to pardon Alan Turing

Alan Turing, heroic WWII code-breaker, was convicted of 'indecency' as a result of his homosexuality at a time when this was illegal in the United Kingdom. The government has apologized but never formally pardoned him. 11 leading UK scientists sent the government a letter seeking to change this. "In a letter to the Telegraph, Prof Hawking and ten other signatories call on the Prime Minister to "formally forgive" Turing, whose work at Bletchley Park is widely credited with helping bring an end to the Second World War." (via the Telegraph)