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From ACM Opinion

Was Petraeus Borked?

In 1987, when Judge Robert Bork was enmeshed in a partisan struggle over his Supreme Court nomination, a reporter for an alternative weekly in Washington, D.C.,...

Instead of 'dead Dropping,' Petraeus and Broadwell Should Have ­sed These Email Security Tricks
From ACM Opinion

Instead of 'dead Dropping,' Petraeus and Broadwell Should Have ­sed These Email Security Tricks

Having an extramarital affair in 2012 is not an easy task if you’re the chief of the world’s most renowned spy agency.

Will We Ever ­nderstand How Our Brains Work?
From ACM News

Will We Ever ­nderstand How Our Brains Work?

When it comes to the human brain, many scientists believe that we are incapable of understanding how it works because we lack the tools and intelligence to measure...

Data Doesn't Belong to the Democrats
From ACM Opinion

Data Doesn't Belong to the Democrats

One of the leading narratives of the 2012 campaign is that data trumped all.

Why Nate Silver and Others Predicted the Election Perfectly
From ACM Opinion

Why Nate Silver and Others Predicted the Election Perfectly

Guess what, accurately predicting the outcomes of elections really isn't a partisan affair.

Inside the Secret World of the Data Crunchers Who Helped Obama Win
From ACM Opinion

Inside the Secret World of the Data Crunchers Who Helped Obama Win

In late spring, the backroom number crunchers who powered Barack Obama's campaign to victory noticed that George Clooney had an almost gravitational tug on West...

Wrath of the Math: Obama Wins Nerdiest Election Ever
From ACM Opinion

Wrath of the Math: Obama Wins Nerdiest Election Ever

Congratulations, Barack Obama: You have prevailed in the nerdiest election in the history of the American Republic.

Probability Versus Prediction in Volcanic Hazards (and Elections)
From ACM Opinion

Probability Versus Prediction in Volcanic Hazards (and Elections)

Unless you've been living on the far side of the moon for the past two years, you'll know that the U.S. presidential election is next week. Now, I'm by no means...

Can We Trust Voting Machines?
From ACM Opinion

Can We Trust Voting Machines?

Last week, a congressional report claimed that using Chinese telecommunications companies’ goods and services in the United States could threaten national security...

Learning to Teach Computer Science
From Communications of the ACM

Learning to Teach Computer Science: The Need For a Methods Course

A multipronged approach to preparing computer science teachers is critical to success.

And the Firewalls Came Tumbling Down
From ACM Opinion

And the Firewalls Came Tumbling Down

There's much to like about "This Machine Kills Secrets," Andy Greenberg's well-reported history of WikiLeaks and the many projects it has inspired, but one unintentionally...

Technology Helps Track a Terrorist in 'the Finish'
From ACM Opinion

Technology Helps Track a Terrorist in 'the Finish'

In late summer 2010, at the end of a morning briefing, one of President Obama's security advisers said, "Mr. President, Leon and the guys at Langley think they...

Patent Could Shackle 3D Printers with Drm
From ACM Opinion

Patent Could Shackle 3D Printers with Drm

One of the greatest benefits of 3D printing technology—the ability to make replacements or parts for household objects like toys, utensils and gadgets—may be denied...

The Limits of Big Data
From ACM Opinion

The Limits of Big Data

Stop me if you've heard this one: Three statisticians go rabbit hunting.

Why Everyone (not Just Geeks) Should Care About Big Data
From ACM Opinion

Why Everyone (not Just Geeks) Should Care About Big Data

Hugo Campos has a cardiac defibrillator implanted in his body. It sends data about his heart to his doctors and back to the manufacturer, but it takes days to get...

Who's Behind the Wheel? Nobody.
From ACM Opinion

Who's Behind the Wheel? Nobody.

The Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca is a 2.2-mile asphalt roller coaster plunging and soaring across California's tawny Monterey highlands.

Why Wi-Fi Is Often So Slow
From ACM Opinion

Why Wi-Fi Is Often So Slow

A number of Internet service providers, including Comcast Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc., have recently upped the maximum speeds of broadband they offer...

From ACM Opinion

When Gps Tracking Violates Privacy Rights

For the right to personal privacy to survive in America in this digital age, courts must be meticulous in applying longstanding privacy protections to new technology...

Reflecting on the Facebook IPO
From Communications of the ACM

Reflecting on the Facebook IPO

Exploring some factors that reflect a company's worth.

5 Ideas to Help Everyone Make the Most of Big Data
From ACM Opinion

5 Ideas to Help Everyone Make the Most of Big Data

Big data is going mainstream, but there are still plenty of lessons to be learned from Silicon Valley data scientists whose businesses depend on data to survive...
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