Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
October 2017
From ACM TechNews
Fast-Moving Magnetic Particles Could Enable New Form of Data Storage
Researchers have shown they can create tiny disturbances in magnetic orientation at will in specific locations, which they say could be used to make a more efficient data storage system.
From ACM TechNews
Phone-Powered AI Spots Sick Plants With Remarkable Accuracy
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University say they have designed a smartphone-based neural-network program that can automatically identify diseases in the cassava plant with near-flawless accuracy.
From ACM TechNews
A Sea of Spinning Electrons
Researchers say they have found a sea of electrons that spin in opposing circles, a phenomenon known as the chiral spin mode.
From ACM TechNews
Two Intelligent Vehicles Are Better Than One
Researchers are working to improve intelligent vehicle systems by combining the data collected by such a vehicle with that collected from other intelligent vehicles.
From ACM TechNews
Functional Languages Beat Procedural/object-Oriented
Researchers at the University of Virginia and the University of California-Davis say they have completed a study evaluating the impact of programming languages on software quality, and found functional languages are superior …
From ACM TechNews
Improving K–12 Computer Science Education
Code.org estimates fewer than half of U.S. K-12 schools offer computer science courses, which a 2016 Google-Gallup survey elevates to 75% when accounting for after-school activities and clubs.
From ACM TechNews
USC Isi Researchers Poised to Crack the Code on Reducing Workplace Stress
Researchers aim to relieve workplace stress by first understanding its causes.
From ACM News
Collaborative Software Development Made Easy
Sebastian Neubert, a particle physicist at Heidelberg University in Germany, leads a group studying subatomic particles called pentaquarks. The six team members all have access to the software code used to run their multi-step…
From ACM News
Scientists in Mexico Scramble to Deploy Seismic Sensors
Late one night in September, Victor Cruz, a geophysicist at Mexico's National Autonomous University, submitted an article to a scientific journal describing progress on a network of underwater seismic sensors to be deployed off…
From ACM News
How a 130-Year-Old Technology Led to a Nobel Prize
In 1887, Albert Michelson built an experiment that he hoped would lead to the detection of luminiferous ether.
From ACM TechNews
Office of Naval Research Awards Uw-Madison $6.1 Million For Computer Security Research
The U.S. Office of Naval Research has awarded a $6.1-million grant to a University of Wisconsin-Madison containerization project associated with software security, manageability, and performance.
From ACM TechNews
Southampton Experts to Trial 'instant' Test For Eye Infections
A new microchip can quickly identify serious eye infections and prevent antibiotic misuse by analyzing bacteria from laboratory-infected tissue samples.
From ACM TechNews
Umd-Led Project Awarded Nsf Grant to Study Big Data Ethics
The Pervasive Data Ethics for Computational Research project is using a U.S. National Science Foundation grant to study ethical issues related to user consent, risk assessment, and regulations.
From ACM News
E-Commerce Supports Data-Driven Economic Development
The integration of "pure play" e-commerce and brick-and-mortar goods and services is accelerating.
From ACM News
Russian Facebook Ads Showed a Black Woman Firing a Rifle, Amid Efforts to Stoke Racial Strife
One of the Russian-bought advertisements that Facebook shared with congressional investigators on Monday featured photographs of an armed black woman "dry firing" a rifle—pulling the trigger of the weapon without a bullet in …
From ACM News
Risk of Human-Triggered Earthquakes Laid Out in Biggest-Ever Database
From mining projects to oil and gas operations, human activity has set off earthquakes around the world and in many geological settings.
From ACM Careers
Understanding Ethereum, Bitcoin's Virtual Cousin
Bitcoin has many cousins and competitors. None have grown more popular than Ethereum, a global computer network with its own virtual currency, called Ether.
From ACM News
Trump's Top Science Adviser Job Vacant Eight Months After Inauguration
President Donald Trump has yet to choose a top science adviser, and a former director of the White House Office of Science and Technology is raising an alarm about what he calls the "very sizable vacuum" that persists in the …
From ACM News
Chip Reprograms Cells to Regenerate Damaged Tissue
The ability to convert, or "reprogram" cells into other types has raised hopes for regenerating damaged limbs and organs. But existing methods are risky or inefficient and have been tried only on laboratory animals.
From ACM TechNews
The Ridiculous Amount of Energy It Takes to Run Bitcoin
Keeping bitcoin running via the process of "mining" consumes a staggering amount of electricity, and experts are investigating energy-saving solutions.
From ACM TechNews
The Benefits and Risks of Using Talking Software to Address Mental Health
Stanford University scholars Adam Miner, Arnold Milstein, and Jeff Hancock discuss the growing use of conversational software programs as a tool in mental health therapy.
From ACM TechNews
Are Computers Already Smarter Than Humans?
In some respects, computers can be more intelligent than humans in terms of learning and problem solving, according to experts.
From ACM TechNews
In Plain Sight
Researchers have found deep neural networks can be superior to humans in conducting visual searches, because the networks do not overlook mis-scaled targets.
From ACM TechNews
Sebastian Thrun Talks Flying Cars, Automated Teaching, and an AI Arms Race With China
Google moonshot lab X co-founder Sebastian Thrun says flying cars are ready to be built, given advances in unmanned drone technology.
From ACM TechNews
The State of Women in Computer Science
Several factors are preventing women from pursuing and persisting in computer science majors.
From Communications of the ACM
3D-Printing Human Body Parts
Bioprinting has generated bones, cartilage, and some muscles; hearts and livers are still years away.
From Communications of the ACM
Digital Hearing
Advances in audio processing help separate the conversation from background noise.
From Communications of the ACM
Portable Device Fears Show Power of Social Development
How do small screens impact young minds?