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dateMore Than a Year Ago
subjectTheory
authorThe Wall Street Journal
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Why Google Is Willing to Give Away Its Latest Machine-Learning Software
From ACM Opinion

Why Google Is Willing to Give Away Its Latest Machine-Learning Software

Google's move to give away its latest machine-learning software, key to its speech- and photo-recognition programs, isn’t as crazy as it may appear.

The Myth of Basic Science
From ACM Opinion

The Myth of Basic Science

Innovation is a mysteriously difficult thing to dictate. Technology seems to change by a sort of inexorable, evolutionary progress, which we probably cannot stop—or...

What Celebrities Can Teach Companies About Social Media
From ACM Opinion

What Celebrities Can Teach Companies About Social Media

Let's face it: Corporate America's social presence could use a celebrity makeover.

Review: Littlebits Makes Robot Building Easier For Junior Engineers
From ACM Opinion

Review: Littlebits Makes Robot Building Easier For Junior Engineers

In the recent surge of electronic building toys, my early favorite was LittleBits. The individual pieces each have a specific job, and they magnetically interlock...

Pluto Is Just a Baby Step For Humankind
From ACM Opinion

Pluto Is Just a Baby Step For Humankind

As it advances now beyond Pluto, the New Horizons spacecraft is sending back data from its historic encounter with the dwarf planet like a long sigh of relief.

Sean Parker: Philanthropy For Hackers
From ACM Opinion

Sean Parker: Philanthropy For Hackers

In the past several decades, there has been a monumental shift in the distribution of wealth on the planet.

A Social Network For Talkers
From ACM Opinion

A Social Network For Talkers

No group needs social network software more than the elderly.

The Culture Wars Invade Science Fiction
From ACM Opinion

The Culture Wars Invade Science Fiction

Theodore Beale had a big day when the nominations for science fiction's annual Hugo Awards were announced last month: He received two nominations for his editing...

Brace Yourself: Microsoft Wants to Guess How Old You Are
From ACM News

Brace Yourself: Microsoft Wants to Guess How Old You Are

Like a distant relative who makes you feel bad at the annual holiday get together, Microsoft has created a website that analyzes a photo of a person's face and...

The Future of Sex: It Gets Better
From ACM Opinion

The Future of Sex: It Gets Better

When I was 10 years old, my friend Sarah and I found a newly minted copy of "The Joy of Sex" under her parents' bed.

The Fbi's Stance on Encrypted Communications
From ACM Opinion

The Fbi's Stance on Encrypted Communications

Imagine an America where federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies cannot access critical communications, even when legally authorized to do so.

New Laws For New Threats Like Drones and Bioterrorism
From ACM Opinion

New Laws For New Threats Like Drones and Bioterrorism

You walk into your shower and see a spider.

The 12 Tech Nuisances That Annoy ­s Most
From ACM Opinion

The 12 Tech Nuisances That Annoy ­s Most

You know those days when your phone battery doesn't even make it to dinner?

Get Creative at Your Desk With a Little Playtime
From ACM Opinion

Get Creative at Your Desk With a Little Playtime

Playing with a geometric puzzle or stress ball at your desk can seem like idle diversion. It may also spark clearer or more creative thinking.

Invasion of the Friendly Movie Robots
From ACM Opinion

Invasion of the Friendly Movie Robots

Robots are becoming more of a reality in everyday life, and movies have started to overhaul their depiction of them. They're gentler, friendlier, and often better...

The Future of Virtual Sex
From ACM Opinion

The Future of Virtual Sex

Is another human being necessary for satisfying sex?

Bitcoin and the Digital-Currency Revolution
From ACM Opinion

Bitcoin and the Digital-Currency Revolution

About a half-billion dollars worth of it vanished from an online exchange in Tokyo.

'soft' Artificial Intelligence Is Suddenly Everywhere
From ACM Opinion

'soft' Artificial Intelligence Is Suddenly Everywhere


What the World Will Speak in 2115
From ACM Opinion

What the World Will Speak in 2115

In 1880 a Bavarian priest created a language that he hoped the whole world could use.

Artificial Intelligence Isn't a Threat—Yet
From ACM Opinion

Artificial Intelligence Isn't a Threat—Yet

Does artificial intelligence threaten our species, as the cosmologist Stephen Hawking recently suggested?
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