microcode, compilers, and supercomputer architecture

From: Huw Davies <H.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au>
Date: Mon Apr 5 21:44:19 1999

At 21:05 05/04/99 -0400, Max Eskin wrote:

>I have heard of Airbuses crashing because the controls were poorly
>designed. I've never heard of a 777 crashing. I've also never heard of any
>medical machines failing, though this would tend to be underpublicized.

The standard example is a certain brand of radio-therapy system (used to
treat cancer) which would occasionally give a dose several thousand times
higher than specified (this was usually fatal). I have more details at work
if anyone really needs to know...

 Huw Davies | e-mail: Huw.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au
 Information Technology Services | Phone: +61 3 9479 1550 Fax: +61 3 9479
1999
 La Trobe University | "If God had wanted soccer played in the
 Melbourne Australia 3083 | air, the sky would be painted green"
Received on Mon Apr 05 1999 - 21:44:19 BST