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In 2016, Terror Suspects and 7-Eleven Thieves May Bring Surveillance to Supreme Court
From ACM Opinion

In 2016, Terror Suspects and 7-Eleven Thieves May Bring Surveillance to Supreme Court

It has now been 2.5 years since the first Snowden revelations were published. And in 2015, government surveillance marched on in both large (the National Security...

If There Are Aliens Out There, Where Are They?
From ACM Opinion

If There Are Aliens Out There, Where Are They?

Physicist Enrico Fermi famously asked the question "Where are they?" to express his surprise over the absence of any signs for the existence of other intelligent...

Political Gifs Are the New Sound Bites This Campaign Season
From ACM Opinion

Political Gifs Are the New Sound Bites This Campaign Season

Every few decades, a piece of technology comes along that alters political campaigning.

In 2015, Promising Surveillance Cases Ran Into Legal Brick Walls
From ACM Opinion

In 2015, Promising Surveillance Cases Ran Into Legal Brick Walls

Today, the first Snowden disclosures in 2013 feel like a distant memory.

Security's Biggest Winners and Losers in 2015
From ACM Opinion

Security's Biggest Winners and Losers in 2015

This year, lawmakers surprised us by taking initial steps—albeit, baby ones—to rein in some of the NSA's mass spying and provide better oversight of the intelligence...

Learning to Apply Data Science to Business Problems
From ACM Opinion

Learning to Apply Data Science to Business Problems

One of the most exciting parts of data science is that it can be applied to many domains of knowledge, given our newfound ability to gather valuable data on almost...

And Science's Breakthrough of the Year Is …
From ACM Opinion

And Science's Breakthrough of the Year Is …

It was conceived after a yogurt company in 2007 identified an unexpected defense mechanism that its bacteria use to fight off viruses.

Driverless Cars Are Colliding with the Creepy Trolley Problem
From ACM Opinion

Driverless Cars Are Colliding with the Creepy Trolley Problem

Philosophers have been gnawing on the infamous Trolley Problem for decades, and it’s always been a purely intellectual exercise with no "right" answer.

The Dark Side of the Coming Chatbot Revolution
From ACM Opinion

The Dark Side of the Coming Chatbot Revolution

Artificial intelligence is coming to a messaging app near you.

Genome-Editing Revolution: My Whirlwind Year with Crispr
From ACM Opinion

Genome-Editing Revolution: My Whirlwind Year with Crispr

Some 20 months ago, I started having trouble sleeping.

How the Internet of Things Limits Consumer Choice
From ACM Opinion

How the Internet of Things Limits Consumer Choice

In theory, the Internet of Things—the connected network of tiny computers inside home appliances, household objects, even clothing—promises to make your life easier...

The Science to Look Out For in 2016
From ACM Opinion

The Science to Look Out For in 2016

A Swiss company is set to become the first firm to capture carbon dioxide from the air and sell it on a commercial scale, a stepping stone to larger facilities...

The Death of American Research and Development
From ACM Opinion

The Death of American Research and Development

When rumors began to fly about a merger between chemical giants Dow Chemical  and DuPont , it was obvious the deal was not your ordinary fee-driven scheme dreamed...

A Pause to Weigh Risks of Gene Editing
From ACM Opinion

A Pause to Weigh Risks of Gene Editing

The technology for altering defects in the human genome has progressed so rapidly in the last three years that it has outstripped the ability of scientists and...

Elon Musk's Billion-Dollar AI Plan Is About Far More Than Saving the World
From ACM Opinion

Elon Musk's Billion-Dollar AI Plan Is About Far More Than Saving the World

Elon Musk and Sam Altman worry that artificial intelligence will take over the world. So, the two entrepreneurs are creating a billion-dollar not-for-profit company...

What the Government Should've Learned About Backdoors from the Clipper Chip
From ACM Opinion

What the Government Should've Learned About Backdoors from the Clipper Chip

In the face of a Federal Bureau of Investigation proposal requesting backdoors into encrypted communications, a noted encryption expert urged Congress not to adopt...

Let's Outlaw Math
From ACM Opinion

Let's Outlaw Math

In the name of protecting us against terrorists, law enforcement agencies want high tech companies to relinquish their Golden Keys, backdoors to their otherwise...

How the Science in 'star Wars’ Is Actually Real
From ACM Opinion

How the Science in 'star Wars’ Is Actually Real

For a story that takes place "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" a great deal of the technology in the "Star Wars" series actually has parallels today on...

The End of Work?
From ACM Opinion

The End of Work?

Welcome to the era of AI-human hybrid intelligence, where people and artificial intelligence systems work together seamlessly.

Driverless Cars Are Like Elevators
From ACM Opinion

Driverless Cars Are Like Elevators

One of the challenges in describing the potential of self-driving cars is that they promise to do so much.
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