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
How Scientists Are Cracking Historical Codes to Reveal Lost Secrets
The DECRYPT project, a collaboration of linguists and computer scientists, aims to automate the process of cracking historical ciphers.
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 TechNews
Toughest Known Structure Discovered by Autonomous Robot Lab
The Bayesian experimental autonomous researcher robotics laboratory at Canada's University of Toronto has discovered the most energy-absorbent mechanical structure...
From ACM TechNews
AI Can Spot Early Signs of a Tsunami from Atmospheric Shock Waves
Researchers found that off-the-shelf artificial intelligence (AI) models can detect the early signs of a tsunami in two-dimensional (2D) images from GPS satellites...
From ACM TechNews
Making Your Phone Screen Blurry Could Stop Snooping
A new system can blur smartphone screens to prevent snooping.
From ACM TechNews
Driverless Cars May Struggle to Spot Children, Dark-Skinned People
Scientists evaluated eight artificial intelligence-based pedestrian detectors used in driverless car research, and found they may have difficulty detecting children...
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 News
Superconductor Claims Could Lead to Progress, Even If They're Wrong
Experts are right to be wary of claims that a room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor has been found, but the flurry of new research to confirm the finding...
From ACM TechNews
Robot Injects Drugs into Back of Eyeball More Accurately Than Surgeons
The Steady Hand Eye Robot can inject drugs into the back of the eyeball faster and more accurately than surgeons to treat retinal vein occlusion, according to Johns...
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 TechNews
Male Flies Are Better at Mating After Fighting Off Robotic Rival
Scientists found laboratory-reared male fruit flies appear to become more adept at mating after engaging with robotic replicas of rival males.
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
Robot Grows Plants as Well as Humans, but Uses Less Water
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, developed a robot gardener that can grow plants as capably as humans, while saving more water.
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