Algorithms · August 2003Gaffe level: Rampage
A Software Bug Helped Black Out the Northeast
A software bug in FirstEnergy's control-room alarm system let local faults go unseen, cascading into the Northeast blackout that cut power to 50 million people.
Source: Scientific American
A Belfast Surgical Robot Has Treated 130 Complex Cases Since May
Belfast City Hospital's Da Vinci 5 robotic platform for gynaecology has treated 130 patients needing complex surgery since its launch in May 2026, and the longest inpatient wait in Belfast Trust has fallen from seven years to three. A new 1.95 million pound investment in endometriosis services will expand the specialist centres and local care behind that progress.