Communications of the ACM
Why the Simplex Method, at Age 75, is Still the Go-To Algorithm
Daniel A. Spielman and colleague Shang-hua Teng solved the mystery of the Simplex Method using a technique called smoothed analysis… From ACM NewsAn edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
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See Little Robots Get Swole in This Virtual 'Gym'
The bizarre robots look like cobbled-together Tetris pieces. A new system "evolves" them to run, climb, and throw stuff better.
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Meet the Cyberpunk Albatrosses Scanning for Secret Explosions
Acoustic waves can detect all kinds of explosions and volcanic activity, but it's hard to place sensors at sea—unless you've got a bird with a backpack.
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How Supercomputers Can Help Fix Our Wildfire Problem
Fires spread with a complexity that scientists can pick apart little by little, thanks to lasers, sensors, and some of the most powerful computers.
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It's Not Easy to Control Police Use of Tech—Even With a Law
A key backer of a 2018 Oakland law to rein in tools like automated license plate readers says the city is not following the rules.
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How an Algorithm Blocked Kidney Transplants to Black Patients
A formula for assessing the gravity of kidney disease is one of many that is adjusted for race. The practice can exacerbate health disparities.
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John Deere Doubles Down on Silicon Valley and Robots
Farm-equipment giant is buying Bear Flag Robotics, which makes autonomous tractors
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Controversial Tool Calls Out Thousands of Hackable Websites
PunkSpider is back, and crawling hundreds of millions of sites for vulnerabilities.
From ACM TechNews
Rats Took Over This Pacific Island. Now Drones Are Leading the Fightback
The conservation group Island Conservation plans to use drones to try to eliminate rats on Tetiaroa atoll and two other islands in French Polynesia, beginning in...
From ACM TechNews
Algorithm That Predicts Deadly Infections Is Often Flawed
An algorithm designed to forecast sepsis infections is significantly lacking in accuracy.
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Algorithm that Predicts Deadly Infections is Often Flawed
A study found that a system used to identify cases of sepsis missed most instances and frequently issued false alarms.
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U.K. Has a Plan for a New 'Pandemic Radar' System
Disease surveillance schemes to catch the next rising virus already exist—they're just not communicating with each other.
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Ford's Ever-Smarter Robots Are Speeding Up the Assembly Line
A transmission factory shows how artificial intelligence may creep into industrial processes in gradual and often imperceptible ways.
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This AI Could Help Wipe Out Colon Cancer
Medtronic's GI Genius, recently cleared by the FDA, will help doctors identify precancerous polyps.
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AI Could Enable 'Swarm Warfare' for Tomorrow's Fighter Jets
A Pentagon project is testing scenarios involving multiple aircraft that could change the dynamics of air combat.
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Google's Antitrust Cases: A Guide for the Perplexed
The company is facing multiple lawsuits from the U.S. Department of Justice and three dozen states.
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Internet Freedom Has Taken a Hit During the Covid-19 Pandemic
From surveillance to arrests, governments are using the novel coronavirus as cover for a crackdown on digital liberty.
From ACM TechNews
Split-Second 'Phantom' Images Can Fool Tesla's Autopilot
Researchers at Israel's Ben Gurion University of the Negev found they could fool Tesla's Autopilot driver-assistance systems into automatically reacting without...
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Lidar Is Finally Becoming a Real Business
The success of lidar companies was unclear until this summer, when three leading makers offered glimpses of their finances.
From ACM TechNews
Kids' Smartwatches a Security Nightmare, Despite Years of Warnings
Researchers at Germany's Münster University of Applied Sciences found smartwatch brands marketed for children are exploitable, based on years of similar findings...
From ACM TechNews