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
Scientists Find the Skull of Humanity's Ancestor, on a Computer
Researchers reconstructed a virtual skull of the last common human ancestor using computerized-tomography scans of 260 modern-day skulls from various populations...
From ACM TechNews
With $1 Billion from Microsoft, an AI Lab Wants to Mimic the Brain
Microsoft has made a $1-billion investment in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence lab created by Elon Musk and Sam Altman in 2015.
From ACM News
Fernando Corbató, a Father of Your Computer (and Your Password), Dies at 93
Computers, he said, were so expensive to use that any idle time was a huge waste. But with time-sharing, computer time was carefully metered and wasted time all...
From ACM TechNews
Facebook Plans Global Financial System Based on Cryptocurrency
Facebook has unveiled a plan to create an alternative financial system that relies on a new cryptocurrency.
From ACM TechNews
Software pgrade (After 40 Years) Aims to Improve .S. Weather Forecasts
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has significantly upgraded the software that guides its weather prediction capability for the first time...
From ACM TechNews
DeepMind Can Now Beat s at Multiplayer Games, Too
Researchers have developed automated "agents" that display humanlike behavior when playing in capture-the-flag mode in the Quake III multiplayer computer game. ...
From ACM TechNews
San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Technology
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors has banned the use of facial recognition technology for surveillance purposes by police and other agencies in the city.
From ACM TechNews
Why Is This Ostrich Wearing an Extra Set of Wings?
Researchers used robotic technology and young ostriches wearing artificial wings to gain insight into how a dinosaur's running gait may have caused its wings to...
From ACM TechNews
The Microbots Are on Their Way
A researcher at the University of Pennsylvania has developed tiny robots, thousands of which can fit side by side on a single silicon wafer.
From ACM TechNews
In African Villages, These Phones Become ltrasound Scanners
Doctors are using a hand-held ultrasound scanner to provide medical imaging to residents of remote African villages.
From ACM TechNews
New Recruitment Tool for Construction: The Joystick
The U.S. construction industry aims to restore its workforce by attracting younger replacements who grew up playing PC games.
From ACM TechNews
As Office Tenants Expect More Tech, Even the Windows Get Smart
Demand for new technologies from office developers and tenants is fueling competition between suppliers.
From ACM News
In Bubbles, She Sees a Mathematical niverse
On the evening of March 19, the mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck gathered with revelers at the Institute for Advanced Study for a champagne reception.
From ACM TechNews
Warnings of a Dark Side to AI in Health Care
A recently published study warns that new artificial intelligence technology designed to enhance healthcare is vulnerable to misuse.
From ACM News
Warnings of a Dark Side to A.I. in Health Care
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a device that can capture an image of your retina and automatically detect signs of diabetic blindness.
From ACM TechNews
Racing Against China, .S. Reveals Details of $500 Million Supercomputer
The U.S. Department of Energy has disclosed the details of its newest $500-million supercomputer.
From ACM TechNews
Locking More Than the Doors as Cars Become Computers on Wheels
Concern that cars could be hacked by criminals, terrorists, or even rogue governments has prompted a new era of security efforts within the auto industry.
From ACM News
How the Internet Travels Across Oceans
The internet consists of tiny bits of code that move around the world, traveling along wires as thin as a strand of hair strung across the ocean floor. The data...
From ACM TechNews
India Fights Diabetic Blindness With Help From AI
The Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai, India, is working with Google artificial intelligence scientists to automate the identification of diabetic retinopathy.
From ACM Careers