Algorithms · August 2020Gaffe level: Blunder
UK's Exam Algorithm Downgraded Poor Students and Sparked Protests
With exams cancelled, an algorithm assigned A-level grades and systematically downgraded students from poorer schools. After days of student protests, the government scrapped it and reverted to teacher-predicted grades.
Source: The Verge
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.