However, back in 1985 a radiation therapy machine called the Therac-25 was only just getting started on its human killing spree. There was a bug in its software which resulted in a deadly race condition, and at least six unfortunate individuals received doses of radiation that were 100x too strong. It could be used for electron beam therapy to address shallow tissue problems, like skin cancers. Crucially, the Therac-25 took about 8-seconds to change radiation beam mode, and fast operators could confuse the software with inputs during this time window. Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.