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
Chemical Code Used to Store Jane Austen Quote in Plastic Molecules
University of Texas at Austin researchers encoded a quote from Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park in software-readable plastic molecules.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Taught Table Etiquette Can Explain Why It Won't Follow the Rules
Researchers programmed a humanoid robot with software that models human cognitive processes.
From ACM TechNews
AI Shows 2 Scribes Wrote One of the Dead Sea Scrolls
One of the Dead Sea Scrolls was written by two scribes with very similar handwriting, according to researchers at the Netherlands' University of Groningen.
From ACM TechNews
Vibrations From a Smartphone Can Help Spot Unsafe Drinking Water
Vibrations from a smartphone's ringtone can be used to measure a liquid's viscosity, according to researchers at China's Shenzhen University.
From ACM TechNews
Bitcoin Mining Emissions in China Will Hit 130 Million Tons by 2024
Researchers at China's Tsinghua University predicted Chinese bitcoin mining will emit roughly 130 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere by 2024.
From ACM TechNews
Human Brain Organoids Grown in Cheap 3D-Printed Bioreactor
A human brain organoid was cultured in a week in a three-dimensionally-printed microfluidic bioreactor.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Lizard Can Quickly Climb a Wall, Just Like the Real Thing
A robot built by researchers at Australia's University of the Sunshine Coast has legs and feet programmed to mimic the gait of climbing lizards.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Learns to Tie Knots Using Only Two Fingers on Each Hand
Tetsuya Ogata and colleagues at Japan's Waseda University have taught an artificial intelligence-powered robot to tie knots around a box using just two fingers...
From ACM TechNews
AI Helps Assess Pain Levels in People With Sickle Cell Disease
Northwestern University researchers used artificial intelligence to assess pain levels in patients with sickle cell disease, based on their vital signs.
From ACM TechNews
AI Can Stop the Cybersickness Some People Get When Using VR Headsets
Researchers at U.K. startup Kagenova have developed a system that can reduce nausea or cybersickness induced by virtual reality.
From ACM TechNews
Fire Safety App Simulates Wildfires, Shows Route to Avoid Them
Researchers have built a mobile wildfire simulation application that provides personalized evacuation routes to anyone in the path of a fire.
From ACM TechNews
A Quantum Trick with Photons Gives ML a Speed Boost
Researchers at Austria's University of Vienna have accelerated machine learning using a quantum trick involving photons.
From ACM TechNews
Eagle-Inspired Robot Flies by Flapping Its Feather-Covered Wings
Researchers in China were inspired by a golden eagle to build a robotic bird with flapping wings covered in actual feathers.
From ACM TechNews
Magnetic Boost Helps to Squeeze More Data Onto Computer Hard Disks
A short-term technology may help clear a path toward next-generation computer hard disks by utilizing microwaves with existing platter material.
From ACM TechNews
Submersible Soft Robot Survives Pressure of Mariana Trench
A silicone rubber submersible robot engineered by researchers at China's Zhejiang University successfully withstood the immense pressures in the Mariana trench....
From ACM TechNews
AI Smashes Videogame High Scores by Remembering Its Past Success
Artificial intelligence has achieved record high scores on videogames played on classic Atari consoles, by recalling previous successes.
From ACM TechNews
Google Uses Underwater Fiber-Optic Cable to Detect Earthquakes
A submarine fiber-optic cable owned by Google was used by researchers to detect earthquakes and ocean waves generated by storms.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Can Understand What a Hug Is
A prototype soft robot developed by researchers at Cornell University is imbued with sensory perception.
From ACM TechNews
Flying Robots Suggest Bees Can't Rely on Instinct to Land on Flowers
Researchers used small drones to study how bees land on a flower.
From ACM TechNews