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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.


Researchers Fooled a Google AI Into Thinking a Rifle Was a Helicopter
From ACM News

Researchers Fooled a Google AI Into Thinking a Rifle Was a Helicopter

Tech giants love to tout how good their computers are at identifying what's depicted in a photograph.

'oumuamua Probably Isn't a Spaceship, But It Could Have Passengers
From ACM News

'oumuamua Probably Isn't a Spaceship, But It Could Have Passengers

Last Wednesday, at 3:45 pm, scientists from the Breakthrough Listen project trained the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia on 'Oumuamua—the mysterious, oblong...

The Hard Math Behind Bitcoin's Global Warming Problem
From ACM TechNews

The Hard Math Behind Bitcoin's Global Warming Problem

A recent report calculated that the global electricity consumption of bitcoin mining would exceed that of the U.S. by July 2019, and of the entire world by November...

Artificial Intelligence Is Killing the Uncanny Valley and Our Grasp on Reality
From ACM TechNews

Artificial Intelligence Is Killing the Uncanny Valley and Our Grasp on Reality

As deep-learning artificial intelligence technologies advance, the "Uncanny Valley"--the unease people feel toward realistic computer-generated humans--is beginning...

Unprecedented Malware Targets Industrial Safety Systems in the Middle East
From ACM News

Unprecedented Malware Targets Industrial Safety Systems in the Middle East

Since Stuxnet first targeted and destroyed uranium enrichment centrifuges in Iran last decade, the cybersecurity world has waited for the next step in that digital...

It's Super Hard to Find Humans in the Fcc's Net Neutrality Comments
From ACM News

It's Super Hard to Find Humans in the Fcc's Net Neutrality Comments

The Federal Communications Commissions''public comment period on its plans to repeal net neutrality protections was bombarded with bots, memes, and input from people...

Google Is Giving Away AI That Can Build Your Genome Sequence
From ACM News

Google Is Giving Away AI That Can Build Your Genome Sequence

Today, a teaspoon of spit and a hundred bucks is all you need to get a snapshot of your DNA. But getting the full picture—all 3 billion base pairs of your genome—requires...

The Genesis of Kuri, the Friendly Home Robot
From ACM News

The Genesis of Kuri, the Friendly Home Robot

Over the course  of thousands of years, dogs have evolved alongside humans to be awesome.

Captcha Is Dying. This Is How It's Being Reinvented For the AI Age
From ACM TechNews

Captcha Is Dying. This Is How It's Being Reinvented For the AI Age

Completely Automated Public Turing Tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHAs) appear to be heading toward obsolescence.

Google's AI Wizard ­nveils a New Twist on Neural Networks
From ACM News

Google's AI Wizard ­nveils a New Twist on Neural Networks

If you want to blame someone for the hoopla around artificial intelligence, 69-year-old Google researcher Geoff Hinton is a good candidate.

These Neurons Are Alive and Firing. And You Can Watch Them in 3-D
From ACM News

These Neurons Are Alive and Firing. And You Can Watch Them in 3-D

For patients with epilepsy, or cancerous brain lesions, sometimes the only way to forward is down.

It Takes Just $1,000 to Track Someone's Location with Mobile Ads
From ACM News

It Takes Just $1,000 to Track Someone's Location with Mobile Ads

When you consider the nagging privacy risks of online advertising, you may find comfort in the thought of a vast, abstract company like Pepsi or Nike viewing you...

The Race to Secure Voting Tech Gets an ­rgent Jumpstart
From ACM TechNews

The Race to Secure Voting Tech Gets an ­rgent Jumpstart

There is an urgent need to secure U.S. voting systems ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, according to a report by the Atlantic Council think tank and hacking...

Phone-Powered AI Spots Sick Plants With Remarkable Accuracy
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...

Intel's New Chip Design Takes Pointers from Your Brain
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.

Nasa Designed This Low-Tech Rover to Survive Venus
From ACM News

Nasa Designed This Low-Tech Rover to Survive Venus

Venus is not pleasant. Its surface, approximately 850 degrees Fahrenheit, is hot enough for paper to spontaneously combust. Its atmosphere, an oppressive mix of...

Wanna Stop Distracted Driving? Make Cars That Watch Their Humans
From ACM News

Wanna Stop Distracted Driving? Make Cars That Watch Their Humans

Everyone knows that distracted driving is a problem, but it tends to fall in the "other people/not me" category of personal risk assessment among drivers.

Brain-Machine Interface Isn't Sci-Fi Anymore
From ACM News

Brain-Machine Interface Isn't Sci-Fi Anymore

Thomas Reardon puts a terrycloth stretch band with microchips and electrodes woven into the fabric—a steampunk version of jewelry—on each of his forearms.   ...

The Astonishing Engineering Behind America's Latest, Greatest Supercomputer
From ACM News

The Astonishing Engineering Behind America's Latest, Greatest Supercomputer

When the Summit supercomputer opens for business next year, it will be the United States' most powerful supercomputer, and perhaps the most powerful in the world...

For Superpowers, Artificial Intelligence Fuels New Global Arms Race
From ACM News

For Superpowers, Artificial Intelligence Fuels New Global Arms Race

For many Russian students, the academic year started last Friday with tips on planetary domination from President Vladimir Putin.
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