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
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 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 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
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
Software Update for World's Wind Farms Could Power Millions More Homes
A software upgrade developed by researchers at France's Polytechnic Institute of Paris improves the efficiency of wind turbines by ensuring they spend more time...
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...
From ACM TechNews
Kombucha Cultures Can Be Turned into Flexible Electric Circuit Boards
Researchers at the U.K.'s University of the West of England, Bristol used the mat of cells that form on top when brewing kombucha to develop flexible electric circuit...
From ACM TechNews
Noisy Flashing Drone Could Stop Bats Crashing into Wind Turbines
Yuval Werber and colleagues at Israel's University of Haifa invented a drone that makes noise and flashes lights to prevent bats from colliding with turbine blades...
From ACM TechNews
Online Advertising Estimated to Use as Much Energy as a Small Country
Researchers have developed a system that can calculate energy consumption related to online advertising.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computers Vulnerable to Eavesdropping Hackers
Allen Mi and colleagues at Yale University warn that even carefully wiping quantum computers of data would not thwart its theft by hackers.
From ACM TechNews
AI-Designed Invisibility Cloak Could Hide Small Communication Devices
Researchers used artificial intelligence to design an invisibility cloak to conceal antennas or small communication devices from infrared light or microwave detectors...
From ACM TechNews
AI Diversity Scoring System Could Help Root Out Algorithmic Bias
Princeton University's Adji Bousso Dieng and Dan Friedman have developed a diversity score for artificial intelligence to help detect bias.
From ACM TechNews
Unpiloted Military Helicopter Flies 134 km in Simulated Mission
The U.S. Army flew an autonomous Black Hawk Helicopter 134 kilometers (83 miles) to deliver 230 kilograms (507 lbs.) of simulated and real blood.
From ACM TechNews