Computing
DNA: The Ultimate Data-Storage Solution
The double helix can archive a staggering amount of information in an almost inconceivably small volume
Computing2340 articles archived since 1845
Engineering
Hacker Attack on Essential Pipeline Shows Infrastructure Weaknesses
Ransomware is steadily hitting harder. Could banks or subway systems be next?
Computing
Artificial Intelligence Develops an Ear for Birdsong
Machine-learning algorithms can quickly process thousands of hours of natural soundscapes
Computing
Algorithm Virtually Unfolds a Historical Letter without Unsealing It
In the centuries before envelopes, “letterlocking” secured a message’s information
Space & Physics
Quantum Network Is Step Toward Ultrasecure Internet
The experiment connects three devices with entangled photons, demonstrating a key technique that could enable a future quantum Internet
Computing
An IBM AI Debates Humans—but It’s Not Yet the Deep Blue of Oratory
The give-and-take of formal arguments is still outside of a machine’s “comfort zone”—at least for now
Computing
AI Can Now Debate with Humans and Sometimes Convince Them, Too
Today on the Science Talk podcast, Noam Slonim of IBM Research speaks to Scientific American about an impressive feat of computer engineering: an AI-powered autonomous system that can engage in complex debate with humans over issues ranging from subsidizing preschool and the merit of space exploration to the pros and cons of genetic engineering. In a new Nature paper, Slonim and his colleagues show that across 80 debate topics, Project Debater’s computational argument technology has performed very decently—with a human audience being the judge of that...
Computing
How We Got More Than 10,000 Students from 120 Countries to Embrace the Joy of Coding
Stanford is offering its popular computer science intro course for free—and you can help teach it
Computing
A Global Computer Chip Shortage Shows Danger of U.S. Production Trends
A small and shrinking number of the world’s computer chips are made in the U.S.
Computing
Machine Learning Pwns Old-School Atari Games
You can call it the “revenge of the computer scientist.” An algorithm that made headlines for mastering the notoriously difficult Atari 2600 game Montezuma’s Revenge can now beat more games, achieving near perfect scores, and help robots explore real-world environments...
Technology
‘March Mammal Madness’ Brings Simulated Animal Fights to Huge Audiences
The annual science education event describes imaginary encounters to teach ecology
Computing
How Hackers Tried to Add Dangerous Lye into a City’s Water Supply
A cybersecurity expert explains how safety systems stopped the attack
Computing
What the Capitol Riot Data Download Shows about Social Media Vulnerabilities
A massive amount of information downloaded from Parler includes potentially incriminating material. But innocuous posts on mainstream platforms can also create vulnerabilities
Climate Change
Twitter Bots Are a Major Source of Climate Disinformation
Such accounts can distort online conversations and potentially diminish support for climate policies
Technology
Towering Sequoias Are Even Bigger Than Thought, Laser Scans Suggest
Laser light reveals the structure of the planet’s tallest trees
Computing
New App Tracks Black Rhinos through Their Footprints
Indigenous trackers inspire a safer way to help rhinoceroses
Computing
How to Make Artificial Intelligence More Democratic
A new type of learning model uses far less data than conventional AIs, allowing researchers with limited resources to contribute
Computing
Giant U.S. Computer Security Breach Exploited Very Common Software
A cybersecurity expert explains how hackers used SolarWinds to steal information from government and industry organizations
Engineering
2020’s Top 10 Tech Innovations
Scientific American and the World Economic Forum sifted through more than 75 nominations for the most innovative and potentially game-changing technologies in 2020. The final top 10 span the fields of medicine, engineering, environmental sciences and chemistry. And to win the nod, the technologies must have the potential to spur progress in societies and economies by outperforming established ways of doing things...
Computing
Artificial Intelligence Is Now Shockingly Good at Sounding Human
Synthetic voices have become ubiquitous. They feed us directions in the morning, shepherd us through phone calls by day and broadcast the news on smart speakers at night. And as the technology used to make them improves, these voices are becoming more and more human-sounding...
