Computing
How Speech-Recognition Software Discriminates against Minority Voices
Until programmers recognize their own internal biases, the software they create will be problematic
Computing2327 articles archived since 1845
Behavior
Trolling for Truth on Social Media
What 1990s Internet protest movements share with today’s disinformation campaigns
Technology
Can an Algorithm Help Solve Political Paralysis?
As faith in government hits historic lows, organizers in the U.K. are trying a new math-based approach to democracy. Would it work in the bitterly divided U.S?
Computing
Fruit Flies Plug into the Matrix
A new budget-friendly virtual-reality system helps researchers study the brains of small animals
Computing
Watch a Robot AI Beat World-Class Curling Competitors
Artificial intelligence still needs to bridge the “sim-to-real” gap. Deep-learning techniques that are all the rage in AI log superlative performances in mastering cerebral games, including chess and Go, both of which can be played on a computer...
Computing
The Most Vulnerable Ransomware Targets Are the Institutions We Rely On Most
Many vital public institutions such as hospitals and fire stations lack cybersecurity to ward off popular malware
Computing
The Quantum Butterfly Noneffect
A familiar concept from chaos theory turns out to work differently in the quantum world
Computing
Mail-Sorting Machines Are Crucial for the U.S. Postal Service
An expert explains how automation enables quick deliveries—which will include ballots for November’s election
Computing
Unlimited Information Is Transforming Society
Technology is blurring the lines between consumers and producers, amateurs and professionals, and laypeople and experts. We’re just starting to understand the implications
Behavior
Misdiagnosing Our Cyberhealth
Why do we ignore information that could improve our ability to predict the odds of a personal cyberattack?
Electronics
Speaker System Blocks City Noise
The system works like noise-cancelling headphones but fits over an open window. Christopher Intagliata reports.
Computing
A Nixon Deepfake, a 'Moon Disaster' Speech and an Information Ecosystem at Risk
A new video re-creates a history that never happened, showing the power of AI-generated media...
Computing
To Beat a Computer at Chess, Prevent It from Learning
Originally published in February 1950
Climate Change
Wireless Technology Could Help Climate-Proof the Internet
Such a system could bypass the fiber-optic cables that can be severed when storms down utility poles
Computing
The Encryption Wars Are Back but in Disguise
A government push for access is ostensibly about fighting crime, terrorism and child porn. Yet it could put all of us at risk of unwarranted surveillance
Computing
When Will Speech-Recognition Software Finally Be Good Enough?
Think how much time we’d save if voice assistants always understood commands or questions the first time
Computing
This App Shows Storm Surge Damage Before Flooding Begins
With floods maps often outdated, augmented reality may help homeowners better understand the risk of inundation
Public Health
Antipoaching Tech Tracks COVID-19 Flare-Ups in South Africa
Coming out of lockdown, the country is relying on thousands of local case trackers and on software, once used to protect rhinoceroses, for disease surveillance
Computing
Don’t Regulate Artificial Intelligence: Starve It
The potential dangers of this technology are great enough that we need to be very careful about how powerful we allow it to be
Computing
A Shiny Snack Bag’s Reflections Can Reconstruct the Room around It
Researchers used the light reflecting off the wrapper to build an image of its surroundings
