Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
May 2017
From ACM Opinion
To Make Your Conspiracy Theory Legit, Just Find an 'expert'
"MIT Professor Exposes 'Egregious Error' & Evidence Tampering in US Report on Syria Sarin Incident." Pretty good headline, right?
From ACM Opinion
Japan's Scientific Prowess in Critical Condition
Japan's scientific might is in danger of decline. The country's sluggish science and technology budget is making it difficult to secure talent, and research facilities are suffering from the deficit.
From ACM Opinion
7 in 10 Smartphone Apps Share Your Data with Third-Party Services
Our mobile phones can reveal a lot about ourselves: where we live and work; who our family, friends and acquaintances are; how (and even what) we communicate with them; and our personal habits.
From ACM Opinion
Who Feels the Pain of Science Research Budget Cuts?
Science funding is intended to support the production of new knowledge and ideas that develop new technologies, improve medical treatments and strengthen the economy.
From ACM Opinion
If You Can't Retain Women, Don't Recruit Them
Silicon Valley should stop recruiting efforts to hire women.
From ACM Opinion
Who Are the Shadow Brokers?
In 2013, a mysterious group of hackers that calls itself the Shadow Brokers stole a few disks full of National Security Agency secrets.
From ACM Opinion
Medical Microbots Need Better Imaging and Control
More than 50 years ago, physicist Richard Feynman spoke of "swallowing the surgeon" in his classic lecture, 'There's plenty of room at the bottom'.
From ACM Opinion
When Artificial Intelligence Botches Your Medical Diagnosis, Who's to Blame?
Artificial intelligence is not just creeping into our personal lives and workplaces — it's also beginning to appear in the doctor's office. AI raises profound questions regarding medical responsibility.
From ACM Opinion
What Happens When Your Car Gets Hacked?
As devastating as the latest widespread ransomware attacks have been, it's a problem with a solution.
From ACM Opinion
Here's How Trump's FCC Affects You
President Trump rarely spoke about the Federal Communications Commission during his campaign or after entering the White House.
From ACM Opinion
The Vr Future Is Here but No One Can Agree on a Name For It
At the VR keynote at Google's IO developer conference, a slide appeared on screen to start the morning's presentation. Clay Bavor, head of AR and VR for Google, explained the spectrum of virtual and augmented experiences that…
From ACM Opinion
Want a Better Web? Here's an Idea: Pay For It
What's the best way to foster a better web? Maybe subscriptions.
From ACM Opinion
Crispr Creator Jennifer Doudna on the Promises, and Pitfalls, of Easy Genetic Modification
For $150, you can buy a Crispr kit online and use it to engineer heartier gut bacteria in your kitchen.
From ACM Opinion
Google, Not the Government, Is Building the Future
One persistent criticism of Silicon Valley is that it no longer works on big, world-changing ideas.
From ACM Opinion
Python Meets Plato: Why Stanford Should Require Computer Science Students to Study ethics
Computer scientists at Stanford are not taught to seriously consider the societal or political impact of their products. This oversight is troubling since technology touches almost all dimensions of 21st-century American lives…
From ACM Opinion
On the Future of Human-Centered Robotics
A major theme in recent political discourse has been the perceived impact of robots and automation on the United States labor economy.
From ACM Opinion
Forget Mars, Let's Go Colonize Titan!
For a while now, there's been a debate in the US over how to direct NASA's next major human spaceflight initiative.
From ACM Opinion
Nvidia Ceo: Software Is Eating the World, but AI Is Going to Eat Software
Tech companies and investors have recently been piling money into artificial intelligence—and plenty has been trickling down to chip maker Nvidia.
From ACM Opinion
The Real Threat to Our Government Is Tech Illiteracy
You only have to look to newsworthy FBI investigations to see how pervasive U.S. government leaders' digital illiteracy can be.
From ACM Opinion
How Privacy Became a Commodity For the Rich and Powerful
Recently I handed over the keys to my email account to a service that promised to turn my spam-bloated inbox into a sparkling model of efficiency in just a few clicks.
From ACM Opinion
Online Voting Won't Save Democracy
Technology can do a lot more to make our elections more secure and reliable, and to ensure that participation in the democratic process is available to all.
From ACM Opinion
FCC Chief Makes Case For Tackling Net Neutrality Violations 'after The Fact'
The Federal Communications Commission will vote on May 18 to formally begin the process of loosening regulations that enforce the so-called net neutrality rules for Internet providers.
From ACM Opinion
Russian Disinformation Technology
On July 17, 2014, as passengers checked in at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, "Necro Mancer"(@666_mancer) tweeted about an unusual convoy 1,500 miles east in Ukraine.
From ACM Opinion
The Wireless Future Ties S Down More Than Ever
As I add more cordless, smart, and rechargeable stuff to my life, I've run more into a mundane but real issue: I still have too many cords to deal with when it's time to charge them. The issue really undercuts the whole "freedom…
From ACM Opinion
Eric Schmidt Discusses Computing, Ai, and the Future of Technology
Self-driving cars, the state of computer science research, artificial intelligence, and other topics were all on the table when MIT' CSAIL hosted Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt for a conversation with CSAIL Director Daniela Rus…
From ACM Opinion
Google and Facebook's Idealistic Futures Are Built on Ads
In 2011 a young computer scientist named Jeff Hammerbacher said something profound while explaining why he'd decided to leave Facebook—and the promise of a small fortune—to start a company.
From ACM Opinion
The Internet of Things Needs a Code of Ethics
In October, when malware called Mirai took over poorly secured webcams and DVRs, and used them to disrupt internet access across the United States, I wondered who was responsible.
From Communications of the ACM
The Anonymization Debate Should Be About Risk, Not Perfection
Focusing on the process of anonymity rather than pursuing the unattainable goal of guaranteed safety.
From Communications of the ACM
Preparing Tomorrow's Faculty to Address Challenges in Teaching Computer Science
Using a "boot camp" workshop for new faculty orientation.
From Communications of the ACM
Toward a Ban on Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Surmounting the Obstacles
A 10-point plan toward fashioning a proposal to ban some — if not all — lethal autonomous weapons.