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
Mathematicians Find 12,000 Solutions for Three-Body Problem
Mathematicians have identified 12,392 new stable orbital arrangements for three objects as allowed by Isaac Newton's laws of motion, also known as the three-body...
From ACM News
From Time Crystals to Wormholes: When Is a Quantum Simulation Real?
Physicists are using quantum computers to conjure exotic phenomena and claiming their creations are truly real.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Twist on Common Computer Algorithm Promises Speed Boost
Scientists have demonstrated that a quantum version of the popular Monte Carlo algorithm could eventually overtake versions running on classical computers.
From ACM News
Microsoft Says Its Weird New Particle Could Improve Quantum Computers
Researchers at Microsoft say they have created elusive quasiparticles called Majorana zero modes–but scientists outside the company are skeptical.
From ACM TechNews
Robotic Dog Spots Invasive Fire Ant Nests Better Than Humans
Scientists in China and Brazil are testing robotic dogs and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect invasive fire ant nests.
From ACM TechNews
The Unique Promise of 'Biological Computers'
Scientists envision biological computers as technology that could help researchers meet challenges in previously inaccessible domains.
From ACM TechNews
Sound-Based Quantum Computers Could Be Built Using Chip-Sized Device
University of Chicago researchers have confirmed the feasibility of building sound-based quantum computers.
From ACM News
DeepMind AI's New Way to Sort Objects Could Speed up Global Computing
Sorting algorithms are basic functions used constantly by computers around the world, so an improved one could make millions of programs run faster.
From ACM TechNews
Pneumatic Computer Uses Pressure Instead of Electricity
Elliot Hui and colleagues at the University of California, Irvine, built a computer from glass and silicone that encodes data using pneumatic pressure instead of...
From ACM TechNews
Ethereum Closes Security Hole with Energy-Saving Update
An update rolled out by the Ethereum cryptocurrency reduced the energy needed to produce it, and also fixed a security flaw.
From ACM TechNews
Sound Vibrations Can Encode, Process Data Like Quantum Computers
University of Arizona researchers demonstrated that trapping sound in a simple mechanical device can imitate certain properties of quantum computers.
From ACM TechNews
Centipede Robots with More Legs Better at Walking Over Bumps
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that multi-legged robots with more legs were better at navigating rough terrain than those with fewer legs...
From ACM TechNews
Smart Glasses Dim Bright Objects
Camera- and liquid-crystal display-equipped smart glasses can "balance" a scene by dimming bright objects without affecting dim ones.
From ACM TechNews
Inflatable Drone Can Bounce Off Walls, Perch on Nearly Anything
Arizona State University researchers have developed an inflatable drone that can perch on nearly any object.
From ACM News
Wood Transistor Could Let Us Embed Electronics in Trees
An electrochemical transistor made from balsa wood opens up the possibility of embedding sensors and other electronic devices in plants, which could help in agriculture...
From ACM News
Crystal Impervious to Radiation Could be Used in Spaceship Computers
Putting two forms of semiconductor material called gallium oxide together seems to make it completely resistant to radiation.
From ACM TechNews
Computer Made of DNA Works Out Prime Factors of 6 and 15
Researchers at China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University developed a simple computer using molecules of folded DNA that was able to split the numbers 6 and 15 into...
From ACM TechNews
Supersized Atoms Could Help Quantum Computers Link to Optical Fibers
Researchers developed a device that could enable multiple quantum computers to be networked together by converting quantum outputs into light signals that can travel...
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computers May Finally Have Practical Use
Researchers have developed a method for certifying that quantum computers generate truly random numbers without having to inspect the process.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computers That Use 'Cat Qubits' May Make Fewer Errors
Researchers in France found so-called "cat qubits” (quantum bits) could reduce errors by quantum computers and accelerate the cracking of common encryption algorithms...12