Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
September 2017
From ACM News
Unexpected Surprise: A Final Image from Rosetta
Scientists analysing the final telemetry sent by Rosetta immediately before it shut down on the surface of the comet last year have reconstructed one last image of its touchdown site.
From ACM News
As Scrutiny Of Social Networks Grows, Influence Attacks Continue In Real Time
The presidential election is long past, but online attacks aimed at shaping the U.S. information environment have kept right on coming.
From ACM TechNews
U.s. Coalesces Plans For First Exascale Supercomputer
The delivery date for the U.S.'s first exascale supercomputing system, Aurora, has been extended from 2018 to 2021, while its target capability has been enlarged from to 1 exaflop.
From ACM TechNews
The Coming Software Apocalypse
A group of coders is trying to work past the abstract approach to programming.
From ACM TechNews
'superhero' Robot Wears Different Outfits For Different Tasks
Primer is a shape-shifting robot that can reconfigure itself into different exoskeletal "outfits" to perform distinct tasks.
From ACM TechNews
The 3D Selfie Is Here
A new Web application can render a two-dimensional facial image as a three-dimensional construct.
From ACM TechNews
Why Futurist Ray Kurzweil Isn't Worried About Technology Stealing Your Job
Google engineering director Ray Kurzweil says artificial intelligence will be far more beneficial than harmful in the long term.
From ACM News
Companies Are Once Again Storing Data on Tape, Just In Case
Companies are returning to tape as a medium for storing data as hackers get smarter about penetrating defenses.
From ACM News
Nasa Damage Map Aids Puerto Rico Hurricane Response
A NASA-produced map showing areas of eastern Puerto Rico that were likely damaged by Hurricane Maria has been provided to responding agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
From ACM News
New Gravitational Wave Detection From Colliding Black Holes
In another step forward for the rapidly expanding universe of invisible astronomy, scientists said on Wednesday that on Aug. 14 they had recorded the space-time reverberations known as gravitational waves from the collision of…
From ACM TechNews
Lehigh University Engineers Create Computer Program That Is Saving the State Prison System Millions of Dollars
Researchers have developed an algorithm expected to save Pennsylvania's prison system $2.9 million annually by accelerating the process of determining where prisoners are incarcerated.
From ACM TechNews
Click Beetles Inspire Design of Self-Righting Robots
Researchers are studying click beetles to understand how the insects jump without using their limbs when tipped onto their backsides.
From ACM TechNews
Computer Science and Engineering Researcher Teams With Industry to Provide Facial Recognition Technology
A University of Texas at Arlington professor is working to evaluate existing deep-learning methods for face detection and facial recognition.
From ACM TechNews
Asu Team Takes Cyberbullying App Public
Researchers at Arizona State University have publicly released their BullyBlocker smartphone application.
From ACM News
The Value of Free STEM and Coding Bootcamps
What do students get for their participation?
From ACM News
Gigantic Ice Spikes on Pluto Trace Climate
Pluto's Bladed Terrain is just as welcoming as the name sounds. The landscape type, which is found only in the high elevation areas around the dwarf planet's equator, is covered in fields of giant spikes of ice as tall as the…
From ACM News
As N. Korea Threatens Nuclear Missile Test, Are .s. Ballistic Defenses Ready?
After suffering yet another round of sanctions, as well as a provocative UN speech and further sanctions from President Donald Trump, North Korea's leaders have hinted that more ballistic missile and nuclear weapons tests are…
From ACM News
Robots Could Destabilise World Through War and nemployment, Says n
The UN has warned that robots could destabilise the world ahead of the opening of a headquarters in The Hague to monitor developments in artificial intelligence.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Claim They Just Invented the 'ultimate' Method For Quantum Computing
Akira Furusawa and Shuntaro Takeda at the University of Tokyo in Japan say they have developed the "ultimate" quantum computing method.
From ACM TechNews
Colleges Move to Close Gender Gap in Science
U.S. colleges and universities are aggressively courting more women to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math.
From ACM TechNews
Microsoft's New Coding Language Is Made For Quantum Computers
Microsoft is integrating traditional programming languages into a new language that could be used to code instructions for quantum computers.
From ACM TechNews
Goodbye, Login. Hello, Heart Scan
A new computer security system uses heart dimensions for identification.
From ACM TechNews
One Step Closer to Lifelike Robots
Researchers have developed a three-dimensionally-printable synthetic muscle with innate expansion ability that does not need an external compressor or high voltage equipment.
From ACM TechNews
New Type of Supercomputer Could Be Based on 'magic Dust' Combination of Light and Matter
A joint U.K.-Russian research team has demonstrated the use of quantum particles called polaritons, combining light and matter, to solve complex problems.
From ACM News
The Coming Software Apocalypse
There were six hours during the night of April 10, 2014, when the entire population of Washington State had no 911 service.
From ACM News
Intel's New Chip Design Takes Pointers from Your Brain
If you're asked to guess the emotion of someone in a video clip, neurons in your brain will exchange information in a flurry of electronic spikes.
From ACM News
Underwater 'ironman' Jetpack Lets You Swim Faster Than Michael Phelps
Two Silicon Valley engineers had an ambitious goal: Create an underwater, Ironman-inspired jetpack capable of propelling someone through water faster than Michael Phelps on his best day in the pool.
From ACM TechNews
Nsf Awards Iu $4 Million to Advance Medical Nanotechnology
The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded Indiana University a five-year, $4-million grant to simulate the interactions between nanoscale devices and biological tissues.
From ACM TechNews
Atlanta and Georgia Tech Roll Out Smart City Projects
Atlanta is introducing smart city transportation and public safety projects.
From ACM TechNews
The Growing Cybersecurity Risk of 'smart' Homes
Carnegie Mellon University professor Jason Hong warns the connectivity of smart homes via Internet of Things technologies could raise cybersecurity risks for homeowners.