Radiation Again? The Story of Therac-25

Jilli tells Kim about the radiation therapy device known as Therac-25. In the 1980s, a series of accidental radiation overexposure occurred for various patients around the US and Canada. What exactly happens when you rely solely on software to save lives? Tune in to listen!

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Sources:

Therac-25 -Ethics Unwrapped https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/case-study/therac-25

Leveson, Nancy & Turner, Clark, “An Investigation of the Therac-25 Accidents,” Computer 26:7, p. 18 (July 19993), https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs240/old/sp2014/readings/therac-25.pdf

The Worst Computer Bugs in History - Therac-24 https://www.bugsnag.com/blog/bug-day-race-condition-therac-25/

A History of the Introduction and Shut Down of Therac-25 https://onlineethics.org/cases/therac-25/history-introduction-and-shut-down-therac-25