7 Epic Fails & Comebacks: Software Bugs That Made History
Software bugs can lead to disastrous consequences for companies and organizations. From causing financial losses to putting people’s lives at risk, bugs have been responsible for some of the biggest failures in the history of software development. However, some of these failures have also led to significant improvements in the industry, as companies and developers learn from their mistakes and make changes to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. In this blog post, we will explore some of the most famous bugs and failures in software development, and how they led to comebacks and improvements in the industry.
- The Therac-25 Incident
The Therac-25 was a radiation therapy machine used in hospitals in the 1980s. It was designed to deliver precise doses of radiation to cancer patients. However, due to a software bug, the machine delivered lethal doses of radiation to some patients, causing serious injuries and deaths. The bug was caused by a race condition in the software that controlled the machine’s electron beam. The machine would sometimes switch from low-energy to high-energy mode without the operator’s knowledge, leading to overdoses. The Therac-25 incident is one of the most famous examples of a software bug causing harm to people. It led to significant improvements in the industry, as developers realized the importance of rigorous testing and quality control. The incident also led to changes in the way medical devices are regulated and tested, with the introduction of the Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
2. The Mars Climate Orbiter
The Mars Climate Orbiter was a spacecraft launched by NASA in 1998 with the goal of studying the Martian climate, atmosphere, and surface changes. The mission was part of NASA’s Mars Surveyor Program, which aimed to explore the red planet with a series of orbiters and landers. But the mission ended in failure on September 23, 1999, when the spacecraft burned up in the Martian atmosphere due to a navigational error. The cause of the failure was a discrepancy between the units of measurement used by the spacecraft’s navigation software and the ground team. The spacecraft’s thrusters were supposed to fire for a specific amount of time to put it into orbit around Mars, but the software mistakenly used pound-seconds instead of newton-seconds to calculate the thrust. This caused the spacecraft to approach Mars at too low an altitude, where it burned up in the planet’s thin atmosphere.
The loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter was a significant setback for NASA and the Mars Surveyor Program. The mission cost $327 million and was one of a pair of spacecraft designed to study Mars from different perspectives. The failure of the Mars Climate Orbiter was a reminder of the importance of double-checking units of measurement and the need for rigorous quality control in space missions. NASA implemented changes to its procedures and practices to prevent similar mistakes from happening in the future.
3. The Boeing 737 MAX
The Boeing 737 MAX is a commercial aircraft that has been involved in two fatal crashes, in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019, killing a total of 346 people. The crashes were caused by a software bug in the plane’s flight control system, which would sometimes push the plane’s nose down, even when it was not necessary, due to faulty sensor readings. The Boeing 737 MAX incidents are some of the most recent and significant examples of software bugs causing harm to people. They have led to significant changes in the aviation industry, with more emphasis on software testing and safety regulations. Boeing has also made changes to the software and systems of the 737 MAX to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
4. Zune MP3 players
The Zune MP3 player, Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s iPod, experienced an infamous software glitch that threw users for a loop. In 2006, Microsoft released the Zune MP3 player, which included a software bug that caused the device to freeze or crash when users tried to play specific songs. This issue, which became known as the “Zune 30 bug,” affected many users and led to frustration and negative reviews. Microsoft eventually released a firmware update to fix the bug, but the incident highlighted the importance of thorough testing and quality control in software development. In addition to the firmware update, Microsoft also offered a solution to users who were unable to access their music due to the bug. They provided a step-by-step guide on how to manually reset the device, which involved opening the Zune, disconnecting the battery, and reconnecting it after a few seconds. However, this was not a permanent solution and many users reported that the bug continued to occur even after resetting their devices.
Overall, the Zune 30 bug was a significant setback for Microsoft and the Zune brand. It highlighted the consequences of releasing software without thorough testing and quality control, and the importance of promptly addressing issues that arise after release.
5. Intel’s Pentium FDIV
Another notable software bug was the Pentium FDIV bug, which affected Intel’s Pentium processors in 1994. This bug caused incorrect calculations in certain floating-point division operations, leading to significant errors in scientific and mathematical calculations. The issue was discovered by a mathematician who publicized it, leading to widespread negative publicity for Intel. Despite initial reluctance to acknowledge the issue, Intel eventually recalled and replaced the affected processors, but the incident damaged the company’s reputation and highlighted the importance of rigorous testing and quality control in the technology industry.
This glitch cost Intel around $475 million, earmarked for potential chip replacements. Besides the financial hit, Intel’s reputation took a dive, especially given their initial hesitancy in addressing the bug.
6. Knight Capital Group’s (2012)
In 2012, Knight Capital Group suffered a significant financial loss due to a software bug in their trading software. The bug caused the software to malfunction, resulting in the purchase of stocks at inflated prices and the sale of stocks at lower prices. This resulted in a loss of approximately $440 million for the company within just 45 minutes. The incident highlighted the importance of rigorous testing and quality control in the financial industry, where software bugs can have serious financial consequences. Following the incident, Knight Capital Group was acquired by another company and the incident served as a warning to other financial institutions to prioritize software testing and quality control to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
7. Ethereum’s Locked Treasure (2017)
In 2017, Ethereum, a popular cryptocurrency, experienced a software bug that caused the loss of approximately $300 million worth of Ether, their cryptocurrency. The bug was caused by a vulnerability in a popular multi-signature wallet contract, which allowed a hacker to exploit the contract and drain the funds. This incident highlighted the importance of secure coding practices and the need for thorough testing and quality control in the cryptocurrency industry. Following the incident, Ethereum implemented new security measures and protocols to prevent similar bugs from occurring in the future. Despite the significant financial loss, the incident served as a valuable lesson for the cryptocurrency industry and underscored the importance of prioritizing software security and quality control.
Software bugs have been responsible for some of the biggest failures in the history of software development. From causing harm to people to costing millions of dollars, bugs can have disastrous consequences for companies and organizations. However, these failures have also led to significant improvements in the industry, as developers learn from their mistakes and make changes to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The Therac-25 incident, the Heartbleed bug, the Mars Climate Orbiter, and the Boeing 737 MAX incidents are some of the most famous examples of software bugs causing harm and leading to improvements. They serve as a reminder of the importance of rigorous testing, quality control, and attention to detail in software development.
