Bot Swarms · November 1988Gaffe level: Rampage
The Original Rogue Bot Swarm
A Cornell grad student released 99 lines of code to 'measure the internet,' botched the check that stopped it re-infecting machines, and the worm multiplied until roughly 6,000 computers, about 10% of the internet, ground to a halt. He became the first person convicted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. The first rogue swarm of self-replicating agents, and it was an accident.
Source: FBI
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.