acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

Recent Opinion


bg-corner

Here Are Eff's Most Influential Cases from Its First 25 Years
From ACM News

Here Are Eff's Most Influential Cases from Its First 25 Years

On Friday, July 10, the Electronic Frontier Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary.

Passing Pluto
From ACM Opinion

Passing Pluto

Soon after the New Horizons spacecraft made its closest approach to Pluto, at 7:49 A.M. on Tuesday—seventy-two seconds ahead of schedule, after a nine-and-a-half...

How Worried Should You Be About Artificial Intelligence?
From ACM Opinion

How Worried Should You Be About Artificial Intelligence?

Intelligent machines come in myriad forms, so which ones pose a danger to us, and how likely are they to actually happen?

The Reality of Cyberwar
From ACM Opinion

The Reality of Cyberwar

When a series of technical glitches hit companies that ranged from United to the New York Stock Exchange this week, suspicions immediately ran to a cyber attack...

The Social Security Number's Insecurities
From ACM Opinion

The Social Security Number's Insecurities

In both the Anthem insurance hack and the two Office of Personnel Management hacks this year, attackers gained access to Social Security numbers, affecting 80 million...

Google Search Chief Amit Singhal Talks Searching Apps
From ACM Opinion

Google Search Chief Amit Singhal Talks Searching Apps

Amit Singhal, Google's search chief, has spent the past 15 years creating the miracle that is the Google search box.

The Rise of the New Crypto War
From ACM Opinion

The Rise of the New Crypto War

James B. Comey, Jr., the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is afraid of the dark.

Here Are the 12 Most Influential Programmers Working Today
From ACM Opinion

Here Are the 12 Most Influential Programmers Working Today

The apps and games you use every day don't exist in a vacuum—someone, somewhere, wrote the code.

There May Be Infinite ­niverses—and Infinite Versions of You
From ACM Opinion

There May Be Infinite ­niverses—and Infinite Versions of You

In another universe you might have become the president of Micronesia. Or a pauper, subsisting on ketchup.

Moxie Marlinspike: The Coder Who Encrypted Your Texts
From ACM Opinion

Moxie Marlinspike: The Coder Who Encrypted Your Texts

In the past decade, Moxie Marlinspike has squatted on an abandoned island, toured the U.S. by hopping trains, he says, and earned the enmity of government officials...

The End of Encryption? Nsa & Fbi Seek New Backdoors Against Advice from Leading Security Experts
From ACM Opinion

The End of Encryption? Nsa & Fbi Seek New Backdoors Against Advice from Leading Security Experts

FBI Director James Comey is set to testify against encryption before the Senate Intelligence Committee today, as the United States and Britain push for "exceptional...

Encryption, Public Safety, and 'going Dark'
From ACM Opinion

Encryption, Public Safety, and 'going Dark'

I am worried we are talking past each other with respect to "Going Dark," so let me try to frame it in a way that I hope is fair-minded and provides a basis for...

Saving Fuel with Software
From ACM Opinion

Saving Fuel with Software

Energy efficiency isn't just a good idea from an environmental perspective; it makes business sense as well.

The Very Best Ideas For Preventing Artificial Intelligence from Wrecking the Planet
From ACM Opinion

The Very Best Ideas For Preventing Artificial Intelligence from Wrecking the Planet

The Boston-based Future of Life Institute, backed by a $10 million donation from Elon Musk, recently announced its list of 37 winners of research grants in the....

Leap Motion's Augmented-Reality Computing Looks Stupid Cool
From ACM News

Leap Motion's Augmented-Reality Computing Looks Stupid Cool

We have a habit of filling new technologies with old ideas.

Meet Our Future Robosimian Heroes
From ACM Opinion

Meet Our Future Robosimian Heroes

Not all robots are built for war and destruction.

Is Star Trek Tech Possible?
From ACM Opinion

Is Star Trek Tech Possible?

My friend Veronica Belmont is pretty cool. Nerd, writer, TV host… and now she’s doing an online video series with Engadget called "Dear Veronica," where she answers...

Failure of New ­.s. Weapons Systems May Be More Than Science Fiction
From ACM Opinion

Failure of New ­.s. Weapons Systems May Be More Than Science Fiction

A war between China and America is a favorite subject of armchair military analysts. Why would it happen? How would it play out?

Calculating Pluto's Mass With Snapshots From New Horizons
From ACM Opinion

Calculating Pluto's Mass With Snapshots From New Horizons

As the New Horizons spacecraft is approaching Pluto, it's getting some great shots.

Stephen Hawking Asks a Big Question of Mark Zuckerberg
From ACM Opinion

Stephen Hawking Asks a Big Question of Mark Zuckerberg

Stephen Hawking woke up Tuesday morning and immediately summoned his handlers.
Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account