Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
July 2009
From ACM Opinion
How Wolfram Alpha Could Change Software
The upstart "computational knowledge engine" claims its results are original works, raising important questions about software and intellectual property.
From ACM Opinion
Follow In the Footsteps of Geeks
John Graham-Cumming's book "The Geek Atlas" is a travel guide for those interested in the history of science, mathematics and technology, and lists 128 sites around the world. If I have to explain why there are 128 entries you…
From ACM Opinion
Science Labs Don't Have to Cost an Arm and a Leg
A recent article in District Administration magazine discusses the aging science labs in schools across the United States and the cost of upgrading them all. The article points out that science standards have been raised recently…
From ACM TechNews
Robots With the Right Stuff
Humans are outsourcing space exploration to machines thanks to remarkable technological advances that came about in the second half of the 20th century, writes American University professor Howard McCurdy. Robotic spacecraft…
From ACM CareerNews
Do Elite Colleges Produce the Best-Paid Graduates?
PayScale, a site that collects data on salaries for different professions, recently released an updated data set from over 1.2 million users on the salaries of graduates from hundreds of U.S. universities and colleges, as well…
From ACM Opinion
The 0s and 1s of Computer Warfare
We are already in the Brave New World of cyberwarfare. Cyberattacks have become a permanent fixture on the international scene because they have become easy and cheap to launch. Unfortunately, there is a growing risk that governments…
From ACM TechNews
Robotics Engineer Aims to Give Robots a Humane Touch
Georgia Institute of Technology robotics engineer Ronald Arkin has dedicated his life's work to the development of ethical battlefield robots embedded with a sense of guilt that could eventually make them more effective than…
From ACM TechNews
The Internet Is Self-Organizing Into a Global Meta-Computer
Biologist Joel de Rosnay speculates on the evolution of digital civilization, of which the Internet is just one component. "There is little overall planning in the development of the World Wide Web, but rather a myriad of initiatives…
From ACM Opinion
Bill Gates Offers the World a Physics Lesson
It's been a year since Bill Gates left full-time work at Microsoft, but he's found plenty to keep him busy. In between trying to eradicate polio, tame malaria, and fix the broken U.S. education system, Gates has managed to fulfill…
From ACM Opinion
Jeffery Deaver's Top 10 Computer Novels
Jeffery Deaver's novels and short stories have been translated into 25 languages and appeared on bestseller lists around the world. He is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen reader's award. Here are his top ten picks for…
From ACM Opinion
Wendy Tan-White on Skeptical Men and Twitter Success
Wendy Tan-White says the corporate world needs to take social media and the Internet far more seriously, but instead is allowing bureaucracy and uncertainty to slow its response down. "We're seeing the statistics now and they're…
From ACM TechNews
Futurephile: A Mini Phone in the Jawbone
Kenexa CEO Rudy Karsan, a fellow of the Society of Actuaries, predicts that technology will become increasingly customized and personal, potentially even leading to the end of TV sets and the rise of individualized entertainment…
From ACM TechNews
Is It Time For the Turing Test to Retire?
New research in cognitive sciences and consciousness suggests that experts in artificial intelligence (AI) should reconsider the Turing Test, writes Aladdin Ayesh, a senior lecturer in the Informatics Department at De Montfort…
From ACM Opinion
Ohio Is Missing the Boat on Electronics Education
One thing we have learned is that when the U.S. fails to provide enough college graduates in high tech career fields, such as computer science and electronics, "emerging foreign nations" will step up and meet the demand. Over…
From ACM TechNews
The Man Who Helped Raise Server Operating Temperatures
A year ago, the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers recommended that the temperature of air entering servers and other data center equipment should be elevated to 77 degrees Fahrenheit to…
From ACM Opinion
Bing, the Imitator, Often Goes Google One Better
For the last 15 years, Microsoft's master business plan seems to have been, "Wait until somebody else has a hit. Then copy it." The list of commercial hits/Microsoft knockoffs is as long as your arm. PalmPilot/PocketPC. Netscape…
From ACM Opinion
India: The Uneven Innovator
All around Bangalore, 'little Americas' are springing up, as they are in other fast-growing cities such as Hyderabad and Pune. Yet despite the media hyperbole, this at times chaotic south Indian city is a long way from becoming…
From ACM Opinion
Ramen Robots Invade Japanese Restaurant
A ramen shop in Yamanashi, Japan, is gaining popularity for its robot chef. The noodles themselves are cooked by a human, with the robot creating a perfectly blended soup which is then delivered to the human chef via a conveyor…
From Communications of the ACM
Open, Closed, or Clopen Access?
A frequent question I hear about Communications, and about ACM publishing in general, involves its access model. I am asked: "Why don't you adopt the open-access model?" Good question! Why don't we?