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"Indeed, the police never tested the apple for the presence of cyanide."

That is dumbfounding. It alone calls the verdict into question.

Edit: according to http://sciencemuseumdiscovery.com/blogs/insight/the-spirit-o..., autopsy found that Turing's stomach contained four ounces of cyanide solution and the apple had nothing to do with it.




That's not mentioned by the article, yet it seems important.

4 ounces is 110 ml - a reasonably bug gulp. It's not the kind of dose that you'd get from accidentally licking your finger, or absent mindedly eating an apple that had rested in a splash of cyanide.

The article is right about modern inquests needing clear evidence before they record a verdict of suicide. But that was even more so in the past, when suicide was a crime, and much more likely to be seen as sinful.


when suicide was a crime

Punishable by death, ironically.


Punishable by death, ironically

Where and when was that?


It is suicide, if you successfully commit it, you are dead. Everywhere, for all time.


Oh I see – I find myself in a lame joke subthread. Must remember to stick to Emacs with jrockway.


Sorry, I couldn't resist. I understand why suicide is illegal (so the cops can intervene before you kill yourself), but I still find it amusing to think about punishing people for killing themselves.




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