Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
October 2016
From ACM TechNews
Lego-Like Wall Produces Acoustic Holograms
Researchers at Duke University and North Carolina State University have demonstrated a system that can create and control three-dimensional acoustic holograms.
From ACM News
Camera on Mars Orbiter Shows Signs of Latest Mars Lander
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified new markings on the surface of the Red Planet that are believed to be related to Europe's Schiaparelli test lander, which arrived at Mars on Oct. 19.
From ACM News
If Planet Nine Is Out There, It Tilts Our Solar System
Most people think the eight planets in our solar system orbit the sun along a straight plane, like a disc on a record player.
From ACM News
In Memoriam: Calvin Carl “kelly” Gotlieb 1921-2016
Canada’s "Father of Computing" was 95.
From ACM Opinion
Inside Microsoft's Quest For a Topological Quantum Computer
The race is on build a "universal" quantum computer. Such a device could be programmed to speedily solve problems that classical computers cannot crack, potentially revolutionizing fields from pharmaceuticals to cryptography.
From ACM News
The Amazing Cloud Cities We Could Build on Venus
It's hot enough to melt lead, the acid rain will scorch the flesh from your bones – and it's the perfect place to raise a family. Venus, not Mars, might be the off-world destination of choice for future space colonists.
From ACM News
Wi-Fi Kiosks Replacing Payphones in Nyc
A move to provide free Internet services yields some unexpected consequences.
From ACM News
The Polling Crisis: How to Tell What People Really Think
Hillary Clinton is heading for a landslide victory over Donald Trump. But wait.
From ACM News
Europe Lost Contact with Mars Lander 1 Minute Before Touchdown
After a suspenseful night waiting for a signal from the ExoMars Schiaparelli lander, the European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed today that the spacecraft went silent less than a minute before it was set to reach the Martian surface…
From ACM TechNews
Donald or Hillary? Tweetcast Predicts Your Vote
Northwestern University researchers have developed an online tool that can predict whether citizens will vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton based on their tweets.
From ACM TechNews
Mit's 'moral Machine' Crowdsources Decisions About Autonomous Driving, but Experts Call It Misguided
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab's "Moral Machine" platform lets the public judge the types of ethical decisions autonomous vehicles should make.
From ACM TechNews
National Science Foundation Doles Out $12m For Wireless Growth
The U.S. National Science Foundation on Tuesday distributed 11 grants, totaling $12 million, to researchers working to expand the reach of wireless technology.
From ACM TechNews
How Secure Is Your Vote?
Many U.S. counties using voting machines lack paper trails for verification of results of the presidential election in November, says a Worcester Polytechnic Institute professor.
From ACM News
The Perpetual Lineup: Half of S Adults in a Face-Recognition Database
Half of American adults are in a face-recognition database, according to a Georgetown University study released Tuesday.
From ACM News
New Horizons: Possible Clouds on Pluto, Next Target is Reddish
The next target for NASA's New Horizons mission—which made a historic flight past Pluto in July 2015—apparently bears a colorful resemblance to its famous, main destination.
From ACM News
Can Crispr Save Ben Dupree?
At 24, Benjamin Dupree has outlived many people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
From ACM News
Preparing For the Future of Artificial Intelligence
Considering the utilization, opportunities, and future challenges of Artificial Intelligence.
From ACM News
Minding the Gap, Blind
Most commuters keep their eyes down in the morning while traipsing through the gleaming corridors of London’s Euston Underground station.
From ACM News
CIA Prepping For Possible Cyber Strike Against Russia
The Obama administration is contemplating an unprecedented cyber covert action against Russia in retaliation for alleged Russian interference in the American presidential election, U.S. intelligence officials told NBC News.
From ACM TechNews
Women in Tech Will Grow Alongside Digital
ACM president Vicki L. Hanson expects the ranks of women in information technology fields to grow as computer skills become increasingly necessary for all industries.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computers: 10-Fold Boost in Stability Achieved
Australian researchers say they have dramatically expanded the time in which future silicon quantum computers would be able to perform calculations.
From ACM TechNews
Will Driverless Cars Really Save Millions of Lives? Lack of Data Makes It Hard to Know
The lack of data on how driverless automobiles' performance compares with human drivers makes it difficult to determine the safety benefits of autonomous vehicles.
From ACM TechNews
This Robot Can Do More Push-ps Because It Sweats
Researchers from the University of Tokyo's JSK Lab say they have developed a more efficient way to cool humanoid robots.
From ACM TechNews
No Gps, No Problem: Next-Generation Navigation
University of California, Riverside esearchers say they have developed a reliable, accurate navigation system that exploits existing environmental signals.
From ACM TechNews
Who Wants to Show p as Gandalf at Their Next Meeting?
Researchers are developing novel ways of capturing facial micro-expressions that are essential to creating natural dialogue and nuanced actor-specific emotions.
From ACM News
Humanity's War on Latency: Semaphore to Silicon Photonics and Beyond
For most of humanity's existence, communication has been incredibly slow.
From ACM Opinion
Could Obama's Threat of Retaliation Against Russia Lead to Cyberwar?
Late last week Obama administration officials used NBC News to send Moscow a cryptic threat: The U.S. government is "contemplating an unprecedented cyber covert action" against Russia for allegedly interfering in the upcoming…
From ACM News
The Surprisingly Easy Way to Visit Mars
It's midday on Mars. The scarlet skies are clear and it's a balmy zero degrees—the perfect conditions for a day out.
From ACM News
Want to Know Julian Assange's Endgame? He Told You a Decade Ago
Amid a seemingly incessant deluge of leaks and hacks, Washington, DC staffers have learned to imagine how even the most benign email would look a week later on the homepage of a secret-spilling outfit like WikiLeaks or DCLeaks…
From ACM TechNews
Algorithm Connects Students to the Most Interesting Person They've Never Met
MIT graduate students Mohammad Ghassemi and Tuka Al-Hanai began MIT Connect, a platform that matches participants for face-to-face lunch meetings based on background, interests, and availability, one year ago.