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Why Is Our Sci-Fi So Glum About A.i.?
From ACM Opinion

Why Is Our Sci-Fi So Glum About A.i.?

When I was 12, I invented a superhero named Boy Genius, a guy my age who awakens one morning with access to 100 percent of his brain power.

The Future of Robot Caregivers
From ACM Opinion

The Future of Robot Caregivers

Each time I make a house call, I stay much longer than I should.

The Trouble With Brain Science
From ACM Opinion

The Trouble With Brain Science

Are we ever going to figure out how the brain works?

Larry Page on Google's Many Arms
From ACM Opinion

Larry Page on Google's Many Arms

One way to think of Google is as an extremely helpful, all-knowing, hyper-intelligent executive assistant.

Every Little Byte Counts
From ACM Opinion

Every Little Byte Counts

In "On What We Can Not Do," a short and pungent essay published a few years ago, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben outlined two ways in which power operates...

Hey, Robot: Which Cat Is Cuter?
From ACM Opinion

Hey, Robot: Which Cat Is Cuter?

One recent morning, while contemplating writing this column, I scrolled through thousands and thousands of listings for mundane microgigs on Mechanical Turk, or...

Civilian Photography, Now Rising to New Level
From ACM Opinion

Civilian Photography, Now Rising to New Level

Five years ago, the DJI Phantom 2 Vision would have seemed like a science fiction film prop or a piece of surveillance hardware flown only by the sexiest of superspies...

Google Puts Money on Robots, ­sing the Man Behind Android
From ACM Opinion

Google Puts Money on Robots, ­sing the Man Behind Android

In an out-of-the-way Google office, two life-size humanoid robots hang suspended in a corner.

The Science Author Clive Thompson Does Not Think Tech Is Ruining Your Mind
From ACM TechNews

The Science Author Clive Thompson Does Not Think Tech Is Ruining Your Mind

Technology writer Clive Thompson believes technology is improving human intelligence. 

How Robots Can Trick You Into Loving Them
From ACM Opinion

How Robots Can Trick You Into Loving Them

I like to think of my Roomba as cute and industrious.

Who Will Prosper in the New World
From ACM Opinion

Who Will Prosper in the New World

Self-driving vehicles threaten to send truck drivers to the unemployment office.

The Next Frontier Is Inside Your Brain
From ACM Opinion

The Next Frontier Is Inside Your Brain

The Obama administration is planning a multiyear research effort to produce an "activity map" that would show in unprecedented detail the workings of the human,...

Talking, Walking Objects
From ACM Opinion

Talking, Walking Objects

Meeting Simon for the first time was one of the most sublime experiences I've had. With every coy head nod, casual hand wave and deep eye gaze, I felt he already...

Jeff Hawkins Develops a Brainy Big Data Company
From ACM Opinion

Jeff Hawkins Develops a Brainy Big Data Company

Jeff Hawkins has been a pioneer of mobile devices, a distinguished lecturer in neuroscience, and a published author of a revolutionary theory of how the brain works...

Mow Yard. Drop Off Kids. Take a Drive on Mars.
From ACM Careers

Mow Yard. Drop Off Kids. Take a Drive on Mars.

Matt Heverly, 36, started a recent workday as any young father might: up at 5:30, gulping coffee, fixing a bottle for the baby. 

Exploring the Planets Enriches ­S at Home
From ACM Opinion

Exploring the Planets Enriches ­S at Home

NASA's newest marvel, a one-ton rover named Curiosity, has been set down with all the delicacy of a carton of eggs on the surface of Mars.

With Apple
From ACM Opinion

With Apple

Late last summer, I was introduced to a new special someone. I wasn’t looking to meet this new muse; it all just kind of happened.

Building the Team That Built Watson
From ACM Opinion

Building the Team That Built Watson

The assignment was one of the biggest challenges in the field of artificial intelligence: build a computer smart enough to beat grand champions at the game of...

From ACM Opinion

The Future of Moral Machines

A robot walks into a bar and says, "I’ll have a screwdriver." A bad joke, indeed. But even less funny if the robot says "Give me what’s in your cash register."...

One on One: Jaron Lanier
From ACM Opinion

One on One: Jaron Lanier

Jaron Lanier, a partner architect at Microsoft Research, has had a long and varied career in technology. Mr. Lanier popularized the term "virtual reality" in...
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