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How We Proved Einstein Right on a Galactic Scale, and What It Means for Dark Energy and Dark Matter
From ACM Opinion

How We Proved Einstein Right on a Galactic Scale, and What It Means for Dark Energy and Dark Matter

Gravity may be the weakest of the fundamental forces in nature, but it is ultimately what enabled life on Earth to evolve.

Senior Scientist Argues that We Should Bypass Europa for Enceladus
From ACM Opinion

Senior Scientist Argues that We Should Bypass Europa for Enceladus

In its quest to find extant life in the Solar System, NASA has focused its gaze on the Jovian moon Europa, home to what is likely the largest ocean known to humans...

China's Scientific Revolution
From ACM Opinion

China's Scientific Revolution

An old Chinese proverb says: "If you're planning for the year, cultivate rice; if you're planning for the decade, cultivate trees; if you're planning for the century...

Could Quantum Computing Be the End of Free Will?
From ACM Opinion

Could Quantum Computing Be the End of Free Will?

Faster, more powerful computing has the potential to revolutionize fields from drug delivery to freight transportation.

Whoa! Meet the Future Phones that Fold ­p, Have 9 Cameras and Charge Over Thin Air.
From ACM Opinion

Whoa! Meet the Future Phones that Fold ­p, Have 9 Cameras and Charge Over Thin Air.

Your next smartphone might just throw you a curve.

Anthony Kennedy's Retirement May Have Huge Consequences for Privacy
From ACM Opinion

Anthony Kennedy's Retirement May Have Huge Consequences for Privacy

Justice Anthony Kennedy, the current Supreme Court's longest-serving member, announced his retirement Wednesday, paving the way for Trump to shape the future America's...

Quantum Computing Will Reshape Digital Battlefield, Says Former NSA Director Hayden
From ACM Opinion

Quantum Computing Will Reshape Digital Battlefield, Says Former NSA Director Hayden

When retired Air Force General Michael Hayden took the helm of the National Security Agency in 1999 he found intelligence gathering, namely electronic espionage...

Disrupting Pro-ISIS Online 'Ecosystems' Could Help Thwart Real-World Terrorism
From ACM Opinion

Disrupting Pro-ISIS Online 'Ecosystems' Could Help Thwart Real-World Terrorism

Supporters of the Islamic State, or ISIS, around the world gather online, becoming members of virtual communities in much the same way any of us might join online...

This Is How the Robot Uprising Finally Begins
From ACM Opinion

This Is How the Robot Uprising Finally Begins

The robot arm is performing a peculiar kind of Sisyphean task.

The ­.S. Once Again Has the World's Fastest Supercomputer. Keep ­p the Hustle.
From ACM Opinion

The ­.S. Once Again Has the World's Fastest Supercomputer. Keep ­p the Hustle.

The United States has knocked China out of the No. 1 position in supercomputing.

The Supreme Court Just Struck a Blow Against Mass Surveillance
From ACM Opinion

The Supreme Court Just Struck a Blow Against Mass Surveillance

The Supreme Court decided Friday that cell-site location information is protected by the Fourth Amendment's guarantee against unreasonable searches and seizures...

A Plea for AI That Serves Humanity Instead of Replacing It
From ACM Opinion

A Plea for AI That Serves Humanity Instead of Replacing It

Sixty-two years ago this summer, Dartmouth professor John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence. Joi Ito, director of MIT's Media Lab, has come to think...

How Neal Stephenson Got Book Ideas by Moonlighting at Blue Origin
From ACM Opinion

How Neal Stephenson Got Book Ideas by Moonlighting at Blue Origin

Neal Stephenson's breakout hit, Snow Crash, envisioned a world of virtual reality—in 1992. The Diamond Age foresaw the future of nanotechnology in 1995. The more...

Misinformation and Biases Infect Social Media, Both Intentionally and Accidentally
From ACM Opinion

Misinformation and Biases Infect Social Media, Both Intentionally and Accidentally

Social media are among the primary sources of news in the U.S. and across the world.

Autonomous Vehicles Might Drive Cities to Financial Ruin
From ACM Opinion

Autonomous Vehicles Might Drive Cities to Financial Ruin

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, last week, 125 mostly white, mostly male, business-card-bearing attendees crowded into a brightly lit ballroom to consider "mobility."

Relax, Google, the Robot Army Isn't Here Yet 
From ACM Opinion

Relax, Google, the Robot Army Isn't Here Yet 

People can differ on their perceptions of "evil."

The Erosion of Reality
From ACM Opinion

The Erosion of Reality

Let me say this upfront: I'm not convinced that 'superintelligent' AI are the most pressing threat from coming generations of deep learning machines.

The Inside Story of How AI Got Good Enough to Dominate Silicon Valley
From ACM Opinion

The Inside Story of How AI Got Good Enough to Dominate Silicon Valley

Alex Krizhevsky didn't get into the AI business to change the course of history.

Self-Driving Cars Likely Won't Steal Your Job (­ntil 2040)
From ACM Opinion

Self-Driving Cars Likely Won't Steal Your Job (­ntil 2040)

The self-driving robots are coming to transform your job. Kind of. Also, very slowly.

Teleportation: Will It Ever Be a Possibility?
From ACM Opinion

Teleportation: Will It Ever Be a Possibility?

Star Trek has a lot to answer for.
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