Computing

A new algorithm counteracts the distorting impact of water

World-changing technologies that are poised to rattle the status quo

Computers can tell what will matter (slightly) better than humans can

At risk are airliners, electric grids, stock markets and other systems that rely on GPS to time their operations

Ground-penetrating radar can detect tiny density differences that lead to images of ancient footprints impossible to discern by eye.

The MineRL competition encourages coders to devise programs that learn by example

Bots masquerading as humans in a game outperformed their human opponents—but the their superiority vanished when their machine identity was revealed. Christopher Intagliata reports. 

Industry involvement in computer science programs can upgrade the talent pipeline

An interactive system produces levitating images by projecting color onto a tiny bead as it zips around a darkened box

Can you really “reach out and touch someone” via text?

DeepMind’s AlphaStar beat all but the very best humans at the fast-paced sci-fi video game

The secret—as it seems to be with pretty much everything these days—is algorithms