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When John Doerr Brought a 'Gift' to Google's Founders
From ACM Opinion

When John Doerr Brought a 'Gift' to Google's Founders

On a fall day in 1999, in the heart of Silicon Valley, I arrived at a two-story, L-shaped structure off the 101 freeway. It was young Google's headquarters, and...

Is the Law Ready for Driverless Cars?
From Communications of the ACM

Is the Law Ready for Driverless Cars?

Yes, with one big exception.

Scale or Fail
From Communications of the ACM

Scale or Fail

Moving beyond self-selected computer science education in Switzerland.

Science, Policy, and Service
From Communications of the ACM

Science, Policy, and Service

Some thoughts on the way forward.

What the History of Math Can Teach ­s About the Future of AI
From ACM Opinion

What the History of Math Can Teach ­s About the Future of AI

Whenever an impressive new technology comes along, people rush to imagine the havoc it could wreak on society, and they overreact. Today we see this happening with...

Tom Lehrer at 90: A Life of Scientific Satire
From ACM Careers

Tom Lehrer at 90: A Life of Scientific Satire

In 1959, the mathematician and satirist Tom Lehrer—who turns 90 this month—performed what he characteristically called a "completely pointless" scientific song...

Here's How the ­S Needs to Prepare for the Age of Artificial Intelligence
From ACM Opinion

Here's How the ­S Needs to Prepare for the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Politicians worldwide are stealing one of the US government's best ideas by drawing up ambitious plans to make the most of advances in artificial intelligence. ...

The Scientific Paper Is Obsolete
From ACM Opinion

The Scientific Paper Is Obsolete

The scientific paper—the actual form of it—was one of the enabling inventions of modernity. Before it was developed in the 1600s, results were communicated privately...

Smartphones, Contents of the Mind, and the Fifth Amendment
From Communications of the ACM

Smartphones, Contents of the Mind, and the Fifth Amendment

Exploring the connection qualities between smartphones and their users.

Push Versus Pull
From Communications of the ACM

Push Versus Pull

Flipping the publishing business model.

Business Ecosystems
From Communications of the ACM

Business Ecosystems: How Do They Matter for Innovation?

Considering the significant interrelationship of innovation, corporate strategy, and public policy for business ecosystems.

To Illustrate the Dangers of Cyberwarfare, the Army Is Turning to Sci-Fi
From ACM Opinion

To Illustrate the Dangers of Cyberwarfare, the Army Is Turning to Sci-Fi

At first glance, Dark Hammer looks a lot like any other science fiction comic book: On the front cover, a drone flies over a river dividing a city with damaged...

Med Students Are Getting Terrible Training in Robotic Surgery
From ACM Opinion

Med Students Are Getting Terrible Training in Robotic Surgery

If you think your on-the-job training was tough, imagine what life is like for newbie surgeons.

How to Make A.I. Human-Friendly
From ACM Opinion

How to Make A.I. Human-Friendly

For a field that was not well known outside of academia a decade ago, artificial intelligence has grown dizzyingly fast. Tech companies from Silicon Valley to Beijing...

Bioengineers Today Emphasize the Crucial Ingredient Dr. Frankenstein Forgot: Responsibility 
From ACM Opinion

Bioengineers Today Emphasize the Crucial Ingredient Dr. Frankenstein Forgot: Responsibility 

Mary Shelley was 20 when she published "Frankenstein" in 1818. Two hundred years on, the book remains thrilling, challenging and relevant—especially for scientists...

The Limits of Explainability
From ACM Opinion

The Limits of Explainability

When we look at a stack of blocks or a stack of Oreos, we intuitively have a sense of how stable it is, whether it might fall over, and in what direction it may...

Tech Companies Should Stop Pretending AI Won't Destroy Jobs
From ACM Opinion

Tech Companies Should Stop Pretending AI Won't Destroy Jobs

I took an Uber to an artificial-­intelligence conference at MIT one recent morning, and the driver asked me how long it would take for autonomous vehicles to take...

Computational Social Science ≠ Computer Science + Social Data
From Communications of the ACM

Computational Social Science ≠ Computer Science + Social Data

The important intersection of computer science and social science.

Responsible Research with Crowds
From Communications of the ACM

Responsible Research with Crowds: Pay Crowdworkers at Least Minimum Wage

High-level guidelines for the treatment of crowdworkers.

Impediments with Policy Interventions to Foster Cybersecurity
From Communications of the ACM

Impediments with Policy Interventions to Foster Cybersecurity

A call for discussion of governmental investment and intervention in support of cybersecurity.
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