Can code damage hardware?

Can random code damage your hardware when run in Real Mode? If yes, give some examples how. What happens when the ACPI tables are overwritten? Is it possible to disable the CPU fan through code, and have the CPU overheat and break, or does the BIOS have moron-proof failsafes incase someone would do that?

>>36
Polling is shit. You waste processor time instead of using asynchronous interrupts which only use the processor when the device actually needs something. Now imagine that on a critical system like life support or a nuclear missile.