Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
March 2017
From ACM TechNews
Merging Our Brains With Machines Won't Stop the Rise of the Robots
The assumption that physically interfacing the human brain with machines will give humanity a competitive edge over increasingly advanced robots is dubious, because of various factors.
From ACM TechNews
Why the Dark Net Is More Resilient to Attack Than the Internet
Researchers who built their own model of the dark net ran simulations to see how the model would react to three failure scenarios.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Reveal New Super-Fast Form of Computer That 'grows as It Computes'
Researchers have shown it is possible to build a new super-fast form of computer that "grows as it computes."
From ACM TechNews
Microsoft's AI Is Learning to Write Code By Itself, Not Steal It
Researchers at Microsoft and the University of Cambridge in the U.K. have developed an algorithm that can create code to solve simple math problems.
From ACM TechNews
Who Can Find the Fish That Makes the Best Sound?
Researchers at TU Wien in Austria have developed a computational method that can determine the shape a metal object must be in order to generate a specific sound.
From ACM News
First Hint of How Dna Calculators Could Supercharge Computing
By making DNA endlessly change, researchers have shown how a biological computer might one day solve problems much faster than conventional computers or even quantum computers.
From ACM News
Machine Learning Is Bringing the Cosmos Into Focus
The telescope offers one of the most seductive suggestions a technological object can carry: the idea that humans might pick up a thing, peer into it, and finally solve the riddle of the heavens as a result.
From ACM News
Medical Devices Are the Next Security Nightmare
Hacked medical devices make for scary headlines.
From ACM TechNews
Coming Soon: Oil Spill-Mapping Swarms of Flying Drones
Researchers have devised a way to program a team of off-the-shelf, low-powered drones to map an oil spill in a matter of minutes.
From ACM TechNews
New Gene Sequencing Software Could Aid in Early Detection, Treatment of Cancer
New computational software can detect the presence of an epigenetic add-on associated with cancer and other health conditions.
From ACM TechNews
Want an Energy-Efficient Data Center? Build It nderwater
Microsoft engineers have proposed underwater server farms to help cloud providers deal with data center expansion in an environmentally friendly manner.
From ACM TechNews
niversity Professor First in Line to Test Transformative Robot 'cassie'
University of Michigan researchers are programming and testing a bipedal robot with the mobility of a large bird.
From ACM News
Building the Quantum Internet
Taking the first steps toward building a long-range network that can connect super-fast quantum computers, or provide absolutely secure, tamper-free communication.
From ACM News
Lies, Propaganda and Fake News: A Challenge For Our Age
Who was the first black president of America?
From ACM News
Martian Winds Carve Mountains, Move Dust, Raise Dust
On Mars, wind rules. Wind has been shaping the Red Planet's landscapes for billions of years and continues to do so today.
From ACM News
How Bioinformatics Tools Are Bringing Genetic Analysis to the Masses
For doctors trying to treat people who have symptoms that have no clear cause, gene-sequencing technologies might help in pointing them to a diagnosis. But the vast amount of data generated can make it hard to get to the answer…
From ACM TechNews
Government Sets Sights on AI as Economic Opportunity
The U.K. government has launched its Digital Strategy, which includes significant funding for artificial intelligence research so the technology will play a larger economic role.
From ACM TechNews
Trump Signs Laws to Promote Women in STEM
President Trump on Tuesday signed into law two bills aimed at encouraging women and girls to enter science, technology, engineering, and math fields.
From ACM TechNews
3D Computer Models of Gigantic Archaeological Objects
Researchers in Germany are employing contact-free digitization techniques to produce three-dimensional models of archeological artifacts.
From ACM TechNews
New Studies Illustrate How Gamers Get Good
A new study followed players of the computer games "Halo: Reach" and "StarCraft 2" to learn how they acquired and maintained their skill level.
From ACM TechNews
Disney Research Demonstrates Open-Air Wireless Charging
Disney Research says its new quasistatic cavity resonance technology offers a way for mobile devices to wirelessly charge themselves.
From ACM TechNews
A Revolutionary Atom-Thin Semiconductor For Electronics
Researchers have developed a two-dimensional material that could revolutionize electronics.
From Communications of the ACM
Thinking Deeply to Make Better Speech
More work is needed to make synthesized speech more natural, easier to understand, and more pleasant to hear.
From Communications of the ACM
Financing the Dark Web
Cryptocurrencies are enabling illegal or immoral transactions in the dark corners of the Internet.
From Communications of the ACM
ACM Recognizes New Fellows
ACM has recognized 53 of its members as ACM Fellows for major contributions in areas including artificial intelligence, cryptography, computer architecture, high performance computing, and programming languages.
From Communications of the ACM
The Future of Semiconductors
Researchers are looking for new ways to advance semiconductors as Moore's Law approaches its limits.