What's up in

Computer science

Latest Articles

Mathematicians Discover New Way for Spheres to ‘Kiss’

January 15, 2025

A new proof marks the first progress in decades on important cases of the so-called kissing problem. Getting there meant doing away with traditional approaches.

Can AI Models Show Us How People Learn? Impossible Languages Point a Way.

January 13, 2025

Certain grammatical rules never appear in any known language. By constructing artificial languages that have these rules, linguists can use neural networks to explore how people learn.

Why Computer Scientists Consult Oracles

January 3, 2025

Hypothetical devices that can quickly and accurately answer questions have become a powerful tool in computational complexity theory.

The Year in Computer Science

December 19, 2024

Researchers got a better look at the thoughts of chatbots, amateurs learned exactly how complicated simple systems can be, and quantum computers passed an essential milestone.

Quantum Computers Cross Critical Error Threshold

December 9, 2024

In a first, researchers have shown that adding more “qubits” to a quantum computer can make it more resilient. It’s an essential step on the long road to practical applications.

Q&A

The AI Pioneer With Provocative Plans for Humanity

December 4, 2024

While some fret about technology’s social impacts, Raj Reddy still believes in the power of artificial intelligence to improve lives.

What Is Distributed Computing?

November 25, 2024

Our computers can get a lot more done when they share the load with other machines.

How Public Key Cryptography Really Works, Using Only Simple Math

November 15, 2024

The security system that underlies the internet makes use of a curious fact: You can broadcast part of your encryption to make your information much more secure.

Debate May Help AI Models Converge on Truth

November 8, 2024

How do we know if a large language model is lying? Letting AI systems argue with each other may help expose the truth.

Get highlights of the most important news delivered to your email inbox