Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
August 2017
From ACM Opinion
Human Vs. Machine Contests (real or Fictional) But Involving Ordinary Humans
I'm looking for a famous (or at least interesting) human vs. machine contest to use as an analogy in an article.
From ACM Opinion
Fear of a Robot Planet
It was in the 12th century that the great brass head built by Albertus Magnus moved its mouth for the first time, breathing steam as it spoke to Magnus' young religious acolyte, Thomas Aquinas.
From ACM Opinion
The Attack on Global Privacy Leaves Few Places to Turn
Digital privacy has had a very bad summer. As China and Russia move to block virtual private network services, well over a billion people face losing their best chance at circumventing censorship laws.
From ACM Opinion
What Is Ray Kurzweil p To at Google? Writing Your Emails
Ray Kurzweil has invented a few things in his time.
From ACM Opinion
Editing Human Embryos with Crispr Is Moving Ahead; Now's the Time to Work Out the Ethics
The announcement by researchers in Portland, Oregon that they've successfully modified the genetic material of a human embryo took some people by surprise.
From ACM Opinion
Apple Is Pulling Vpns from the Chinese App Store. Here's What that Means.
China's restrictive Internet policies are known for blocking Web users who want to reach Google, Facebook or other banned apps. But now some of those policies are affecting Apple, one of the few remaining U.S. tech giants with…
From ACM Opinion
Profile of Claude Shannon, Inventor of Information Theory
Claude Shannon couldn't sit still.
From Communications of the ACM
The Natural Science of Computing
As unconventional computing comes of age, we believe a revolution is needed in our view of computer science.
From Communications of the ACM
The Observer Effect
Finding the balance between zero and maximum.
From Communications of the ACM
Prophets, Seers, and Pioneers
Reflections on historical prognostications for the future.