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 News
How Aristotle Created the Computer
George Boole is often described as a mathematician, but he saw himself as a philosopher, following in the footsteps of Aristotle.
From ACM TechNews
Chinese Characters Are Futuristic and the Alphabet Is Old News
Stanford University professor Tom Mullaney believes computers make Chinese far more advantageous than typing English via a QWERTY keyboard.
From ACM News
Even Bugs Will Be Bugged
When mark zuckerberg posted a picture of himself on Facebook in June, a sharp-eyed observer spotted a piece of tape covering his laptop’s camera.
From ACM News
The Internet's Favorite Website
It's usually idle curiosity that drives me to Wikipedia.
From ACM News
Is Digital Privacy Becoming a Partisan Issue?
In a Congress where lawmakers have trouble performing even the most basic functions of the legislative branch—funding the government or approving judicial nominees...
From ACM News
Facebook Is Making a Map of Everyone in the World
Americans inhabit an intricately mapped world.
From ACM News
The Research Pirates of the Dark Web
There's a battle raging over whether academic research should be free, and it’s overflowing into the dark web.
From ACM News
How Do Americans Weigh Privacy Versus National Security?
Three years ago, Edward Snowden leaked troves of previously classified information that laid bare the American government's widespread surveillance of its citizens...
From ACM Careers
The Strange Rituals of Silicon Valley Intern Recruiting
The Wozniak Lounge, located on the northern side of campus at the University of California, Berkeley, looks like it was decorated by engineers, to the extent that...
From ACM News
The Convenience-Surveillance Tradeoff
People love free stuff. That's the principle that helps explain the complicated series of privacy-related calculations that modern life increasingly requires.
From ACM News
What Does the Internet Actually Look Like?
It’s difficult to define "the cloud." Even more difficult, perhaps, is photographing it. But that's precisely what Peter Garritano set out to do with his photoThe...
From ACM News
The High-Stakes Race to Rid the World of Human Drivers
The race to bring driverless cars to the masses is only just beginning, but already it is a fight for the ages.
From ACM News
Why New York Subway Lines Are Missing Countdown Clocks
There are people who stand every morning outside the Carroll Street station in Brooklyn staring dead-eyed into the middle distance.
From ACM News
After 10 Years, Google Books Is Legal
On Friday, a federal circuit court made clear that Google Books is legal.
From ACM News
The Most Mysterious Star in Our Galaxy
In the Northern hemisphere's sky, hovering above the Milky Way, there are two constellations—Cygnus the swan, her wings outstretched in full flight, and Lyra, the...
From ACM Opinion
If You're Not Paranoid, You're Crazy
I knew we'd bought walnuts at the store that week, and I wanted to add some to my oatmeal.
From ACM TechNews
Computers Can Predict Schizophrenia Based on How a Person Talks
A new algorithmic analysis technique can identify the disjointed patterns of speech considered a hallmark of schizophrenia.
From ACM News
The Secret Agents Who Stake Out the gliest Corners of the Internet
When President Obama launched his Twitter account in May, people noticed his rapid accumulation of followers, a silly back-and-forth with President Clinton, but...
From ACM Opinion
Beware the Listening Machines
One of my great pleasures in life is attending conferences on fields I'm intrigued by, but know nothing about.
From ACM TechNews