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Grading the Presidential Candidates on Science
From ACM Opinion

Grading the Presidential Candidates on Science

Two weeks ago, Scientific American asked for your help in grading the presidential candidates on their answers to 20 questions about various aspects of scientific...

The Internet Is No Place For Public Elections
From ACM Opinion

The Internet Is No Place For Public Elections

Despite what your local election officials may tell you, you can’t trust the Internet with your vote.

What If the Aliens We Are Looking For Are Ai?
From ACM Opinion

What If the Aliens We Are Looking For Are Ai?

For more than a century we have been broadcasting our presence to the cosmos.

Ted Cruz Is Wrong About How Free Speech Is Censored on the Internet
From ACM Opinion

Ted Cruz Is Wrong About How Free Speech Is Censored on the Internet

Sen. Ted Cruz wants to engineer a United States takeover of a key Internet organization, ICANN, in the name of protecting freedom of expression.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 Review: The Finest Soccer Game Ever Made
From ACM Opinion

Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 Review: The Finest Soccer Game Ever Made

There are many ways to interpret the beautiful game.

An 'interview' With Google's New Digital Assistant
From ACM Opinion

An 'interview' With Google's New Digital Assistant

Alphabet Inc.'s Google unit introduced a new digital assistant Wednesday. Bloomberg News put the system through its paces by asking questions, some of which were...

For the Debaters: What Shall We Do About the Tech Careening Our Way?
From ACM Opinion

For the Debaters: What Shall We Do About the Tech Careening Our Way?

Here's a question I’m hoping comes up at Monday's presidential debate: Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump, what would you do about self-driving trucks?

Are the Experts Worried About the Existential Risk of Artificial Intelligence?
From ACM Opinion

Are the Experts Worried About the Existential Risk of Artificial Intelligence?

If you believe everything you read, you are probably quite worried about the prospect of a superintelligent, killer AI.

The Cold War Is Over. The Cyber War Has Begun.
From ACM Opinion

The Cold War Is Over. The Cyber War Has Begun.

Contemplating Russian nuclear threats during the Cold War, the strategist Herman Kahn calibrated a macabre ladder of escalation, with 44 rungs ranging from "Ostensible...

Big Step For Quantum Teleportation Won't Bring ­S Any Closer to Star Trek. Here's Why
From ACM Opinion

Big Step For Quantum Teleportation Won't Bring ­S Any Closer to Star Trek. Here's Why

Two teams have set new distance records for quantum teleportation: using the weirdness of quantum mechanics to instantly transfer the condition or "state" of one...

The Leaky Myths of Snowden
From ACM Opinion

The Leaky Myths of Snowden

Oliver Stone's Snowden is a bad movie, stuffed with myth, short on drama.

Neither Hillary Clinton Nor Donald Trump Is Tech Savvy
From ACM Opinion

Neither Hillary Clinton Nor Donald Trump Is Tech Savvy

Rachel Law, the 20-something co-founder of a New York startup called Kip, is sitting next to me at a café, tapping her phone screen to show how the company’s service...

Why Scientists Must Share Their Research Code
From ACM Opinion

Why Scientists Must Share Their Research Code

Many scientists worry over the reproducibility of wet-lab experiments, but data scientist Victoria Stodden's focus is on how to validate computational research:...

The Feds Will Soon Be Able to Legally Hack Almost Anyone
From ACM Opinion

The Feds Will Soon Be Able to Legally Hack Almost Anyone

Digital devices and software programs are complicated. Behind the pointing and clicking on screen are thousands of processes and routines that make everything work...

The Time I Went on Border Patrol in a Virtual Reality World
From ACM Opinion

The Time I Went on Border Patrol in a Virtual Reality World

I found myself on a desolate desert road, in front of a man who was leaning against the hood of a banged-up sedan and next to a United States Border Patrol agent...

How Long ­ntil Hackers Start Faking Leaked Documents?
From ACM Opinion

How Long ­ntil Hackers Start Faking Leaked Documents?

In the past few years, the devastating effects of hackers breaking into an organization's network, stealing confidential data, and publishing everything have been...

Microsoft's Top Lawyer Becomes a Civil Rights Crusader
From ACM Opinion

Microsoft's Top Lawyer Becomes a Civil Rights Crusader

When Apple CEO Tim Cook refused to help the FBI get into a mass murderer's iPhone last winter, he was hailed for his boldness in fighting the government on ...

Paperless Voting Could Fuel 'rigged' Election Claims
From ACM Opinion

Paperless Voting Could Fuel 'rigged' Election Claims

Voters in four competitive states will cast ballots in November on electronic machines that leave no paper trail—a lapse that threatens to sow distrust about a...

The Do-Not-Call List Has a Gaping Hole
From ACM Opinion

The Do-Not-Call List Has a Gaping Hole

Sure, legitimate telemarketers will refrain from calling you if you've put your phone number on it. But criminal telephone spammers will call you anyway because...

How Scientifically Plausible Is 'star Trek'?
From ACM Opinion

How Scientifically Plausible Is 'star Trek'?

"Star Trek" turns 50 on Sept. 8, and instead of buying it a fancy sports car, our mission is to boldly go down the "Star Trek" rabbit hole, or rather, wormhole,...
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