Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
October 2018
From ACM TechNews
This Tech Would Have Spotted the Secret Chinese Chip in Seconds
Researchers have developed a semiautomated system that could have identified in seconds malicious chips reportedly inserted into computer systems by the Chinese government.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists se AI to Predict Why Children Struggle at School
Scientists have used machine learning to determine why some children struggle at school.
From ACM News
The Big Hack: How China sed a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate .S. Companies
In 2015, Amazon.com Inc. began quietly evaluating a startup called Elemental Technologies, a potential acquisition to help with a major expansion of its streaming video service, known today as Amazon Prime Video.
From ACM News
Scientists Create a 'Social Network of Brains'
Sending your thoughts directly into someone else's brain may seem like the stuff of science fiction. But this capability could be closer to reality than you think.
From ACM News
Estrin Awarded McArthur 'Genius Grant'
Estrin was cited for "designing open-source platforms that leverage mobile devices and data to address socio-technological challenges such as personal health management."
From ACM News
Groundbreaking Science Emerges from ltra-Close Orbits of Saturn
New research emerging from the final orbits of NASA's Cassini spacecraft represents a huge leap forward in our understanding of the Saturn system—especially the mysterious, never-before-explored region between the planet and …
From ACM News
Assessing the Impact of Cryptography on Internet Privacy
Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman on the relationship between cryptography and Internet privacy, and the impact the Turing Award has had on their lives, at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum.
From ACM TechNews
Pushing the Boundaries of Learning With AI
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and IBM are collaborating on a project to teach students Mandarin in virtual environments.
From ACM TechNews
AS Team Wins AI Commentator Track of the KAIST World Cup 2018
Arizona State University's team won the artificial intelligence commentator track of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology AI World Cup 2018 competition.
From ACM TechNews
There Are Many More Female STEM Teachers Now Than 20 Years Ago
The population of female instructors in U.S. science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) public schools has grown significantly in the past 20 years.
From ACM TechNews
This Robot Crawls Over Your Body and Scans Your Skin With a Microscope
A palm-sized bipedal robot can carry out a medical inspection of a patient when a doctor is unavailable.
From ACM News
A Goblin World That Points Toward Hidden Planet Nine in the Solar System
Among some astronomers, there is a growing suspicion that our solar system's distant reaches conceal a large, ninth planet that we have not yet seen. New findings about a small ice world far beyond Pluto buttress this idea.
From ACM News
Japanese Rover Lands on Ancient Asteroid for 16-Hour Mission
A third rover has touched down on the surface of asteroid Ryugu, marking a hat-trick of successful landings for the Japanese Hayabusa2 space mission.
From ACM News
In Memoriam: Gerald L. Engel 1942-2018
From ACM TechNews
Supercomputing for Better Commuting: In Pursuit of Fuel Economy, Mobility
Researchers are working to demonstrate how traffic lights can be programmed to improve automotive fuel economy and reduce emissions, while facilitating the flow of traffic.
From ACM TechNews
State-Level Policy for Computer Science Education Continues to Grow
A report by Code.org found many U.S. states are aggressively implementing policies in support of computer science education across K-12 curriculums.
From ACM TechNews
The First 'Social Network' of Brains Lets Three People Transmit Thoughts to Each Other's Heads
University of Washington in Seattle researchers have developed a brain-to-brain network that transmits thoughts among members of a group.
From ACM TechNews
Software Helps Analyze Writing Disabilities
Researchers have developed a software program that can analyze children's writing disabilities and their causes.
From ACM TechNews
VR Can Improve Performance During Exercise
Researchers have found using virtual reality headsets while exercising reduced perception of pain and effort, while extending activity.
From ACM TechNews
Robots May Need Lizard-Like Tails for 'Off-Road' Travel
Researchers have found that the motion (and tails) of lizards could improve designs for robots.
From ACM News
'Optical Tweezers' and Tools sed for Laser Eye Surgery Snag Physics Nobel
Optical physicists Arthur Ashkin, Gérard Mourou and Donna Strickland have won this year's Nobel Prize in Physics for "groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics."
From ACM News
New AI Strategy Mimics How Brains Learn to Smell
Today's artificial intelligence systems, including the artificial neural networks broadly inspired by the neurons and connections of the nervous system, perform wonderfully at tasks with known constraints.
From ACM News
Feds Force Suspect To nlock An Apple iPhone X With Their Face
It finally happened. The feds forced an Apple iPhone X owner to unlock their device with their face.
From ACM TechNews
Introducing the Lettuce Peeling Robot
A robotic lettuce leaf peeling system is seen as a possible breakthrough in improving agricultural efficiency.
From ACM TechNews
Reducing False Positives in Credit Card Fraud Detection
A new machine learning technique can drastically reduce false positives in fraud-detecting technology that incorrectly flag credit card sales as suspicious.
From ACM News
Score One for Privacy
Researching ways to block facial recognition software.
From ACM News
What Termites Can Teach s
New termite colonies are founded on windless evenings, at dusk, after the rain. Most termites have neither eyes nor wings, but every mature colony has a caste of translucent-winged seeing creatures called alates, which are nurtured…
From ACM News
Microsoft Brings Robot Operating System to Windows 10
Microsoft has debuted an official (but experimental) of Robot Operating System for Windows 10.
From ACM News
Machine Learning Confronts the Elephant in the Room
Score one for the human brain. In a new study, computer scientists found that artificial intelligence systems fail a vision test a child could accompli
From ACM News
Request for Information on pdate to the 2016 National AI R&D Strategic Plan
Notice of Request for Information.