The Original ‘Space Invaders’ Is a Meditation on 1970s America’s Deepest Fears
One of the first digital shooting games reflected a fear of, well, invaders—a fear that still resonates today
How Computer Scientists Model the Role of Religion in Society
Virtual simulations attempt to show how faith influences human behavior in the face of terror
How ‘Jurassic Park’ Made History 25 Years Ago, Propelling Computer-Generated Animation Forward
It was the first time that computer-generated characters interacted with human actors on screen. How has the technology improved since then?
Teaching Refugees How To Map Their World Could Have Huge Benefits
A pilot project trained Syrian refugees at a Jordan camp to create maps—an invaluable tool in a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis
Why We Should Test Heart Drugs On a ‘Virtual Human’ Instead of Animals
Thousands of animals are used for heart drug tests each year—but research shows that computer-simulated trials are more accurate
What Will Our Society Look Like When Artificial Intelligence Is Everywhere?
Will robots become self-aware? Will they have rights? Will they be in charge? Here are five scenarios from our future dominated by AI
What the Founding Fathers’ Money Problems Can Teach Us About Bitcoin
The challenges faced by the likes of Ben Franklin have a number of parallels to today’s cryptocurrency boom
Scientists Create a New Form of Light by Linking Photons
Photons typically don’t interact, but physicists bound three together in the lab
Five Questions You Should Have About Amazon’s New AI-Powered Store
Will it destroy retail as we know it? Is it spying on you? Will it weaken your resolve not to buy that $8 gourmet chocolate bar?
1968: The Year That Shattered America
How Douglas Engelbart Invented the Future
Two decades before the personal computer, a shy engineer unveiled the tools that would drive the tech revolution
Listen to Alan Turing’s First Computer-Generated Christmas Carols
In 1951, the BBC played two carols from Turing’s computer, which have now been recreated by New Zealand researchers
How Other Countries Deal With Net Neutrality
As the U.S. weakens its protections for internet users, it risks falling behind the rest of the world
Can “Avatar Therapy” Help People Confront Hallucinations?
In a recent study, schizophrenics engaged the distressing voices they hear through digital audio-visual representations
AOL Instant Messenger Taught Us How To Communicate in the Modern World
As AIM sunsets, let’s reflect on its role in preparing people for today’s digital messaging methods
How Artificial Intelligence Could Revolutionize Archival Museum Research
A new study shows off a computer program’s specimen-sorting prowess
Computer Systems and Sensors Could Put a Stop To Car-Based Attacks
Driver aid systems and self-driving vehicle control systems could override a driver who is trying to strike people
These Two Small Letters Heralded the Beginning of Online Communication
Their message is far more profound in retrospect than it was at the time
Latest AI Teaches Itself to Play Go With No Human Help
DeepMind’s AlphaGo Zero taught itself how to play Go, becoming the greatest player in history in just 40 days
The Sharp Rise and Steep Descent of AOL Instant Messenger
The free instant messaging service introduced millions to the joys of online communication, but it fell behind in the social media age
Watch This AI Turn Sketches into Masterpieces
Trained on the ‘history of human art,’ this system can transform your scribbles
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