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If There Is Water on Mars, Who Gets to ­se It?
From ACM Opinion

If There Is Water on Mars, Who Gets to ­se It?

Humans settle around water, especially in the desert.

The Master Algorithm: A World Remade By Machines that Learn
From ACM Opinion

The Master Algorithm: A World Remade By Machines that Learn

Pedro Domingos's new book is a compelling but rather unquestioning insider view of the search for the ultimate in machine learning.

The Room Where the Internet Was Born
From ACM Opinion

The Room Where the Internet Was Born

Starting a cross-country drive to New York in Los Angeles is pretty inconvenient, unless your cross-country drive is also a vision quest to see the Internet.

The Light-Beam Rider
From ACM Opinion

The Light-Beam Rider

This month marks the 100th anniversary of the General Theory of Relativity, the most beautiful theory in the history of science, and in its honor we should take...

The Physical Origin of ­niversal Computing
From ACM Opinion

The Physical Origin of ­niversal Computing

Imagine you're shopping for a new car, and the salesperson says, "Did you know, this car doesn't just drive on the road."

Apple's Deep Learning Curve
From ACM Opinion

Apple's Deep Learning Curve

In the world of artificial intelligence, one of the year's biggest coming-out parties is the Neural Information Processing Systems conference.

Cassini Seeks Insights to Life in Plumes of Enceladus, Saturn’s Icy Moon
From ACM News

Cassini Seeks Insights to Life in Plumes of Enceladus, Saturn’s Icy Moon

Where there is water, is there life?

What Is Life?
From ACM Opinion

What Is Life?

"Why would NASA want to study a lake in Canada?"

These 5 Facts Explain the Rise of the Drone
From ACM Opinion

These 5 Facts Explain the Rise of the Drone

The October 15 release of the so-called Drone Papers, leaked reports that appear to document the U.S. use of drone aircraft for military purposes, has given the...

The Myth of Basic Science
From ACM Opinion

The Myth of Basic Science

Innovation is a mysteriously difficult thing to dictate. Technology seems to change by a sort of inexorable, evolutionary progress, which we probably cannot stop—or...

We Don't Need Humans on Mars
From ACM Opinion

We Don't Need Humans on Mars

The two mobile robots Spirit and Opportunity were launched from Earth in 2003 and arrived on opposite sides of Mars in 2004. A suite of cameras, instruments, and...

Fight Isis By Thinking Inside the Bot
From ACM Opinion

Fight Isis By Thinking Inside the Bot

What if we told you that fighting ISIS could be done cheaply, relatively easily, in a manner that would not escalate or put any in harm’s way?

Hackers Make Cars Safer. Don't Ban Them From Tinkering
From ACM Opinion

Hackers Make Cars Safer. Don't Ban Them From Tinkering

Virtually every new car sold today has some sort of network connection.

How the Scariest Video Games ­se Our Own Minds to Terrify ­s
From ACM Opinion

How the Scariest Video Games ­se Our Own Minds to Terrify ­s

I think he’s gone—Oh! He's not gone he’s not gone no no no he’s not gone oh Jesus Christ look at his face

Guys, Lots of Signals from Space Seem Like Aliens
From ACM Opinion

Guys, Lots of Signals from Space Seem Like Aliens

Last week, astronomers—amateur and pro—got excited about some strange results from the Kepler Space Telescope, the NASA observatory tasked with searching for Earth...

Scores of Scores: How Companies Are Reducing Consumers to Single Numbers
From ACM Opinion

Scores of Scores: How Companies Are Reducing Consumers to Single Numbers

In his novel Super Sad True Love Story, Gary Shteyngart imagined ubiquitous poles installed on sidewalks that display people’s credit scores as they walked by.

If You're Not Paranoid, You're Crazy
From ACM Opinion

If You're Not Paranoid, You're Crazy

I knew we'd bought walnuts at the store that week, and I wanted to add some to my oatmeal.

What Celebrities Can Teach Companies About Social Media
From ACM Opinion

What Celebrities Can Teach Companies About Social Media

Let's face it: Corporate America's social presence could use a celebrity makeover.

What Science-Fiction Gadget Would Be Most Valuable in Real Life?
From ACM Opinion

What Science-Fiction Gadget Would Be Most Valuable in Real Life?

Nicole Perlman, screenwriter, Guardians of the Galaxy: As someone who’s both accident-prone and constantly putting her foot in her mouth, my first thought is the...

Review: Littlebits Makes Robot Building Easier For Junior Engineers
From ACM Opinion

Review: Littlebits Makes Robot Building Easier For Junior Engineers

In the recent surge of electronic building toys, my early favorite was LittleBits. The individual pieces each have a specific job, and they magnetically interlock...
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