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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


Quantum Twist on Common Computer Algorithm Promises Speed Boost
From ACM TechNews

Quantum Twist on Common Computer Algorithm Promises Speed Boost

Scientists have demonstrated that a quantum version of the popular Monte Carlo algorithm could eventually overtake versions running on classical computers.

Male Flies Are Better at Mating After Fighting Off Robotic Rival
From ACM TechNews

Male Flies Are Better at Mating After Fighting Off Robotic Rival

Scientists found laboratory-reared male fruit flies appear to become more adept at mating after engaging with robotic replicas of rival males.

Microsoft Says Its Weird New Particle Could Improve Quantum Computers
From ACM News

Microsoft Says Its Weird New Particle Could Improve Quantum Computers

Researchers at Microsoft say they have created elusive quasiparticles called Majorana zero modes–but scientists outside the company are skeptical.

Robot Grows Plants as Well as Humans, but Uses Less Water
From ACM TechNews

Robot Grows Plants as Well as Humans, but Uses Less Water

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, developed a robot gardener that can grow plants as capably as humans, while saving more water.

Robotic Dog Spots Invasive Fire Ant Nests Better Than Humans
From ACM TechNews

Robotic Dog Spots Invasive Fire Ant Nests Better Than Humans

Scientists in China and Brazil are testing robotic dogs and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect invasive fire ant nests.

The Unique Promise of 'Biological Computers'
From ACM TechNews

The Unique Promise of 'Biological Computers'

Scientists envision biological computers as technology that could help researchers meet challenges in previously inaccessible domains.

Sound-Based Quantum Computers Could Be Built Using Chip-Sized Device
From ACM TechNews

Sound-Based Quantum Computers Could Be Built Using Chip-Sized Device

University of Chicago researchers have confirmed the feasibility of building sound-based quantum computers.

DeepMind AI's New Way to Sort Objects Could Speed up Global Computing
From ACM News

DeepMind AI's New Way to Sort Objects Could Speed up Global Computing

Sorting algorithms are basic functions used constantly by computers around the world, so an improved one could make millions of programs run faster.

Pneumatic Computer Uses Pressure Instead of Electricity
From ACM TechNews

Pneumatic Computer Uses Pressure Instead of Electricity

Elliot Hui and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine, built a computer from glass and silicone that encodes data using pneumatic pressure instead of...

Ethereum Closes Security Hole with Energy-Saving Update
From ACM TechNews

Ethereum Closes Security Hole with Energy-Saving Update

An update rolled out by the Ethereum cryptocurrency reduced the energy needed to produce it, and also fixed a security flaw.

Sound Vibrations Can Encode, Process Data Like Quantum Computers
From ACM TechNews

Sound Vibrations Can Encode, Process Data Like Quantum Computers

University of Arizona researchers demonstrated that trapping sound in a simple mechanical device can imitate certain properties of quantum computers.

Software Update for World's Wind Farms Could Power Millions More Homes
From ACM TechNews

Software Update for World's Wind Farms Could Power Millions More Homes

A software upgrade developed by researchers at France's Polytechnic Institute of Paris improves the efficiency of wind turbines by ensuring they spend more time...

Centipede Robots with More Legs Better at Walking Over Bumps
From ACM TechNews

Centipede Robots with More Legs Better at Walking Over Bumps

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that multi-legged robots with more legs were better at navigating rough terrain than those with fewer legs...

Smart Glasses Dim Bright Objects
From ACM TechNews

Smart Glasses Dim Bright Objects

Camera- and liquid-crystal display-equipped smart glasses can "balance" a scene by dimming bright objects without affecting dim ones.

Inflatable Drone Can Bounce Off Walls, Perch on Nearly Anything
From ACM TechNews

Inflatable Drone Can Bounce Off Walls, Perch on Nearly Anything

Arizona State University researchers have developed an inflatable drone that can perch on nearly any object.

Wood Transistor Could Let Us Embed Electronics in Trees
From ACM News

Wood Transistor Could Let Us Embed Electronics in Trees

An electrochemical transistor made from balsa wood opens up the possibility of embedding sensors and other electronic devices in plants, which could help in agriculture...

Shapes 3D-Printed into Living Worms Could Be Future of Brain Implants
From ACM TechNews

Shapes 3D-Printed into Living Worms Could Be Future of Brain Implants

A technique developed by researchers at the U.K.'s Lancaster University can print conductive circuits inside living organisms using a photonic three-dimensional...

ChatGPT is Going to Change Education, Not Destroy It
From ACM News

ChatGPT is Going to Change Education, Not Destroy It

The narrative around cheating students doesn't tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Crystal Impervious to Radiation Could be Used in Spaceship Computers
From ACM News

Crystal Impervious to Radiation Could be Used in Spaceship Computers

Putting two forms of semiconductor material called gallium oxide together seems to make it completely resistant to radiation.

Computer Made of DNA Works Out Prime Factors of 6 and 15
From ACM TechNews

Computer Made of DNA Works Out Prime Factors of 6 and 15

Researchers at China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University developed a simple computer using molecules of folded DNA that was able to split the numbers 6 and 15 into...
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