Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
From ACM TechNews
Too Many Electric Cars Charging at Night May Overload Electrical Grid
Computer modeling determined the western U.S. power grid could be strained if electric vehicle owners primarily charging their vehicles at home overnight.
From ACM TechNews
Face Recognition for Pigs Could Improve Welfare on Farms
Wenhao Zhang and colleagues at the U.K.'s University of the West of England have developed a facial recognition system for pigs.
From ACM TechNews
Sensory Trick Makes Objects Seem Heavy or Light in VR
Vibrating pads on people's arms can support a more convincing illusion of weight in virtual reality by fooling the brain into ignoring certain sensory input.
From ACM TechNews
DeepMind AI Learns to Play Soccer Using Decades of Match Simulations
Researchers trained an artificial intellgence to play soccer using an athletic curriculum resembling an accelerated model of a human baby maturing into a soccer...
From ACM TechNews
Earthquakes Seem to Come in a More Predictable Pattern Than We Thought
A machine learning model developed by researchers at the University of California, Davis can analyze decades of earthquake data to predict future earthquakes.
From ACM TechNews
Computer Runs Calculations Depending on How You Squish It
Pennsylvania State University researchers built a soft computer from rows of rubber blocks that performs different calculations based on how it is squished.
From ACM TechNews
Artificial Neuron Swaps Dopamine with Rat Brain Cells Like a Real One
Could be incorporated into future human-machine interfaces.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Unties Knotted Cables but Can't Pick Them Up
University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) researchers have developed a robot that can untie knotted cables using the grippers on its arms.
From ACM TechNews
How the Secrets of Ancient Cuneiform Texts Are Being Revealed by AI
Artificial intelligence is being used to read and translate cuneiform, helping to recreate ancient libraries by piecing together fragmented tablets and predicting...
From ACM TechNews
Fiber-Optic Cables Could Be Used for Spying
Device can eavesdrop on people up to 1 km away using existing fiber-optic cables.
From ACM TechNews
Headline Tricks Make People Share News Stories on Facebook
Usual punctuation in headlines can make people more likely to share news stories on Facebook, although asking questions is less likely to encourage engagement. ...
From ACM TechNews
Computer Component Could Use as Little Energy as Physically Possible
Researchers built a nanomechanical logic gate that uses vibrations for information processing rather than electrons.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computer Cools Itself by Performing Calculations
A small diamond-based quantum computer performs a sequence of mathematical operations to cool itself.
From ACM TechNews
Acoustic Levitation Used to Build Complex Structures in Mid-Air
A new system incorporates a robotic arm that generates sound waves to levitate and move objects to build complex structures in mid-air without touching the parts...
From ACM TechNews
Seventy-Five Percent of the World's Top Websites Allow Bad Passwords
Princeton University's Arvind Narayanan and colleagues found 75% of 120 top-ranked English-language websites permit weak passwords.
From ACM TechNews
Google Wants to Challenge AI with 200 Tasks, to Replace the Turing Test
Artificial intelligence researchers have proposed an update to the Turing test for rating the capabilities of AI technology.
From ACM TechNews
3D Rabbit 'Hologram' Created by Levitating Screen Using Sound Waves
An algorithm developed by researchers at the U.K.'s University College London can generate "holograms" by acoustically levitating objects.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Can Find Keys in a Bag by Listening as It Rummages
Stanford University researchers trained a microphone-outfitted robotic arm to locate objects like keys in a handbag by listening for telltale sounds while searching...
From ACM TechNews
AI Translates Math Problems into Code to Make Them Easier to Solve
Researchers used the Codex neural network of artificial intelligence research company OpenAI to translate mathematical problems from plain English into formal code...
From ACM TechNews