Get ready for the Year 2038 bug and how it could disrupt your digital life
The glitch could cause problems for digital devices worldwide, and it is caused by how computer systems store time and dates.
How the Year 2038 bug could disrupt your digital life. Photo: TNSImagine it is January 19, 2038. You are using your smartphone when you are suddenly logged out of several applications, and the phone system crashes. In the news are reports on bank transaction failures and grounded flights.
The “Year 2038” bug is a very real threat that could disrupt our digital world. The Year 2038 bug is a computer software issue that affects various systems using Unix time format. These systems will not be able to process dates and times after January 19, 2038, 03:14:07 UTC.
To understand why this could happen, we need to look at how computers store and interpret dates and times.
What is Unix time?
Unix time is a standard used in a wide range of computer systems, including operating systems, file systems and databases. It measures time as the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC.
UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time, is the global standard for timekeeping.
The developers who created Unix chose January 1, 1970, as the starting point for measuring time because the system was made in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
This also means Unix time can cover 2,147,483,648 seconds before and 2,147,483,647 seconds after January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. This translates to a date range from December 13, 1901, 20:45:52 UTC, to January 19, 2038, 03:14:07 UTC.
How does a signed 32-bit integer cause the Year 2038 problem?
In the case of Unix time’s maximum value, January 19, 2038, 03:14:07 UTC, adding one more second would result in a time jump back to December 13, 1901.
This is what creates the Year 2038 problem. But why does this happen?
In binary, adding 1 to 1 results in 10. So if we add 1 to the 1 in the rightmost bit, the rightmost bit becomes 0, and the extra 1 carries over to the next bit on the left.
How can we fix this?
One solution being implemented in many systems is to increase the bits that are used to store time information; this allows systems to keep track of time for a more extended period.
The good news is that computer experts have long been aware of this issue and are working to fix it.
That said, it is probably a good idea to replace your old appliances – like an old washing machine – before January 19, 2038, if you want clean clothes that day.
Hong Kong educators, tech industry leaders discuss AI at Principal’s Forum
Young Post has partnered with Hong Kong Science Museum and Hong Kong Space Museum to encourage your pursuit of science. Every month, the museums answer questions about the world around us, the cosmos and beyond.