Why Big Data Isn't Necessarily Better Data
Tech companies--Facebook, Google and IBM, to name a few--are quick to tout the world-changing powers of "big data" gleaned from mobile devices, Web searches, citizen science projects and sensor networks...
Computing2220 articles archived since 1845
The Web Turns 25…Sort Of
In March 1989, Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee proposed a way to link together documents on different computers that were connected to the Internet.
How Data Mining Uncovered Rampant Scientific Plagiarism and Fraud
The author wanted to build software that would navigate medical jargon. He ended up uncovering widespread plagiarism and hundreds of millions of dollars in potential fraud
How To Reconcile Big Data and Privacy
In many ways "big data" and "encryption" are antithetical. The former involves harvesting, storing and analyzing information to reveal patterns that researchers, law enforcement and industry can use to their benefit...
Gravity's Oscar-Winning Visual Effects Mastermind Talks about Computer Graphics and "Weightlessness"
Tim Webber won the Oscar this week for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for his work on Gravity
Forgotten Island
Contribute to scientific knowledge while playing this adventure game
Hidden “Signature” in Online Photos Could Help Nab Child Abusers
A new technique exploits sensor noise patterns unique to each camera that can help identify criminals via photographs posted online
What the 1960s Got Right—and Wrong—about Today's Tech
Plastics and pagers feature heavily in these awesome 1960s films about life in this century
Computer Models Help Unravel Mystery of Puebloans’ Disappearance
Remember playing "The Oregon Trail" computer game in middle school? As a pioneer leading your family westward in a covered wagon, you hunted virtual deer, rabbits and bison--but not too many...
What Is Bitcoin and Its Current Crisis?
The virtual currency’s once largest exchange, Mt. Gox, has abruptly shut down. A bitcoin expert explains the potential impact
Publishers Withdraw More than 120 Gibberish Science and Engineering Papers
Conference proceedings were removed from subscription databases after a scientist revealed they were computer-generated
Asimov’s Predictions from 1964: A Brief Report Card
The future of technology was relatively easy to foresee. Human nature wasn’t
Do Words Match Deeds for WhatsApp CEO?
Before Jan Koum sold his company, WhatsApp, to Facebook for a mind-numbing $19 billion, he had a Post-It note affixed to his deskput there by WhatsApp co-founder Brian Actonthat set out the companys philosophy: No ads, no games, no gimmicks...
![Students Combine Arts and Science While Exploring "Transhumanism" [Slide Show]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/4B0205E8-AD9E-4611-B1F9A79ABBFE3FC7_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Students Combine Arts and Science While Exploring "Transhumanism" [Slide Show]
Over the course of four weeks students developed prototypes of devices meant to bridge the gap between human and machine
Book Review: Computing with Quantum Cats
Reviews and recommendations from Scientific American
X PRIZE Teams Shoot for Milestone Awards en Route to the Moon
For the first time, an X PRIZE is offering award money to participants during a competition
Why Gaming Could Be the Future of Education
Video games could transform education. But first, game designers, teachers and parents have to move beyond both hype and fear
Computers Catch Copycat Corruption
Technology is making it harder for word thieves to earn outrageous fortunes
A Brief History of Epic Cloud Computing Fails
Like the convenience of storing your stuff online? Remember these four crashes, and proceed with caution
