acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

Recent Opinion


bg-corner

How Tom Clancy Changed Video Games
From ACM Opinion

How Tom Clancy Changed Video Games

The widespread mourning of Tom Clancy's death last week is clear testament to a man who managed to have a significant impact across a range of media.

Rage Against the Algorithms
From ACM Opinion

Rage Against the Algorithms

When was the last time you read an online review about a local business or service on a platform like Yelp?

The Lessons of Aaron Swartz
From ACM Opinion

The Lessons of Aaron Swartz

On the day after Aaron Swartz's death in January, President Reif and I spoke about how MIT might respond to the breaking news of his suicide.

How to Manage Your Digital Afterlife
From ACM Opinion

How to Manage Your Digital Afterlife

After their son's suicide, one Wisconsin couple was desperate for answers.

Texan Creationism Showdown May 'contaminate' Textbook
From ACM Opinion

Texan Creationism Showdown May 'contaminate' Textbook

If creationists in Texas get their way, high-school students throughout the U.S. could soon be reading biology textbooks that falsely cast doubt on the scientific...

Students Are 'hacking' Their School-Issued Ipads: Good For Them
From ACM Careers

Students Are 'hacking' Their School-Issued Ipads: Good For Them

Almost immediately after receiving their new school-issued iPads this fall, students in Indiana and in California (and probably elsewhere) managed to bypass the...

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. 

From Technology Executive to Counterterrorism Expert
From ACM Opinion

From Technology Executive to Counterterrorism Expert

Former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold has been anything but idle since stepping out of his role as computer technology czar, founding a controversial patent hoarding...

Scientists Must Spearhead Ethical ­se of Big Data
From ACM Opinion

Scientists Must Spearhead Ethical ­se of Big Data

The recent revelation that the National Security Agency collects the personal data of United States citizens, allies and enemies alike has broken the traditional...

Your Digital Trail, And How It Can Be ­sed Against You
From ACM News

Your Digital Trail, And How It Can Be ­sed Against You

While the collection of private information by the National Security Agency is under scrutiny worldwide, a remarkable amount of your digital trail is also available...

Why Free Software Is More Important Now Than Ever Before
From ACM Opinion

Why Free Software Is More Important Now Than Ever Before

It is now 30 years since I launched the campaign for freedom in computing, that is, for software to be free or "libre" (we use that word to emphasize that we're...

In Search of Planetary Intelligence
From ACM Opinion

In Search of Planetary Intelligence

It is said that Mahatma Gandhi, when asked about Western civilization, remarked, "I think it would be a good idea."

Privacy Entrepreneur Turns Nsa Snooping Into Profit (q&a)
From ACM Opinion

Privacy Entrepreneur Turns Nsa Snooping Into Profit (q&a)

In a double dose of irony, the National Security Agency's prying has given a big helping hand to Phil Zimmermann's business, Silent Circle.

Nsa Chief Defends Collecting Americans' Data
From ACM Opinion

Nsa Chief Defends Collecting Americans' Data

The head of the National Security Agency delivered a vigorous defense Wednesday of his agency's collection of Americans' phone records for counterterrorism purposes...

Forget Foreign Languages and Music. Teach Our Kids to Code
From ACM Opinion

Forget Foreign Languages and Music. Teach Our Kids to Code

J. Paul Gibson began to teach programming classes for teens out of frustration.

At 15, Google's Ambitions Remain ­nbridled
From ACM Opinion

At 15, Google's Ambitions Remain ­nbridled

Google turned 15 on Friday, smack in the middle of its adolescence.

Why I'll Never Ditch My Blackberry
From ACM Opinion

Why I'll Never Ditch My Blackberry

My BlackBerry is my lifeline.

Why We're Shutting Off Our Comments
From ACM Opinion

Why We're Shutting Off Our Comments

Comments can be bad for science. That's why, here at PopularScience.com, we're shutting them off.

Does Digital Age Overcomplicate Design?
From ACM Opinion

Does Digital Age Overcomplicate Design?

There is a scene in the television series "Boss" in which the mayor of Chicago, played by Kelsey Grammer, is discovered by his wife washing bed sheets by hand at...

Life on Mars: Down But Not Out Says Mars Society Founder
From ACM Opinion

Life on Mars: Down But Not Out Says Mars Society Founder

Hopes of alien life on Mars were dashed Thursday when a paper published in the journal Scienceconcluded that the Curiosity rover has yet to find any methane gas...
Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account