Algorithms · June 1980Gaffe level: Skynet
Nuclear War, Nearly, Courtesy of a 46-Cent Chip
A failed 46-cent computer chip in a NORAD system told the United States that 2,200 Soviet missiles were inbound, scrambling bomber crews and launch officers before anyone confirmed the sky was, in fact, empty. Armageddon came down to a component you could buy in a blister pack. The apocalypse was a hardware fault away.
Source: National Security Archive
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.