Engineering Turning Off and on Again

The Y2K problems was a computer flaw, or problems, that may have caused issues when dealing with dates beyond Dec 31, 1999. The flaw, faced by computer programmers and users all over the earth on Jan ane, 2000, is also known as the "millennium issues." (The letter K, which stands for kilo (a unit of thousand), is commonly used to represent the number 1,000. So, Y2K stands for Year 2000.) Many skeptics believe information technology was barely a trouble at all.

When complicated estimator programs were being written during the 1960s through the 1980s, computer engineers used a two-digit code for the year. The "19" was left out. Instead of a date reading 1970, it read 70. Engineers shortened the date considering data storage in computers was costly and took up a lot of space.

As the yr 2000 approached, computer programmers realized that computers might not translate 00 as 2000, but equally 1900. Activities that were programmed on a daily or yearly footing would be damaged or flawed. As December 31, 1999, turned into Jan one, 2000, computers might interpret December 31, 1999, turning into January 1, 1900.

Banks, which summate interest rates on a daily basis, faced existent problems. Interest rates are the amount of money a lender, such equally a bank, charges a customer, such as an private or business, for a loan. Instead of the rate of interest for one mean solar day, the calculator would calculate a rate of interest for minus almost 100 years!

Centers of applied science, such as power plants, were also threatened past the Y2K bug. Ability plants depend on routine computer maintenance for safety checks, such as water pressure or radiations levels. Not having the correct date would throw off these calculations and possibly put nearby residents at risk.

Transportation too depends on the right time and engagement. Airlines in particular were put at hazard, every bit computers with records of all scheduled flights would be threatenedafter all, there were very few airline flights in 1900.

Y2K was both a software and hardware problem. Software refers to the electronic programs used to tell the computer what to practise. Hardware is the machinery of the reckoner itself. Software and hardware companies raced to fix the bug and provided "Y2K compliant" programs to assist. The simplest solution was the best: The appointment was simply expanded to a iv-digit number. Governments, specially in the U.s.a. and the United Kingdom, worked to address the problem.

In the end, there were very few problems. A nuclear free energy facility in Ishikawa, Japan, had some of its radiation equipment fail, but backup facilities ensured there was no threat to the public. The U.S. detected missile launches in Russian federation and attributed that to the Y2K problems. But the missile launches were planned ahead of time equally office of Russias disharmonize in its republic of Chechnya. There was no computer malfunction.

Countries such as Italy, Russia, and Southward Korea had done little to set for Y2K. They had no more than technological problems than those countries, like the U.S., that spent millions of dollars to gainsay the problem.

Due to the lack of results, many people dismissed the Y2K bug as a hoax or an stop-of-the-globe cult.

The Y2K Problems is besides known as the Millennium Bug.

Photograph by Emory Kristof

Improve Condom Than Sorry
Commonwealth of australia invested millions of dollars in preparing for the Y2K bug. Russia invested virtually none. Australia recalled almost its unabridged diplomatic mission staff from Russian federation prior to Jan 1, 2000, over fears of what might happen if communications or transportation networks broke down. Zero happened.

bug

Substantive

mistake or flaw in a reckoner program.

calculate

Verb

to reach a conclusion by mathematical or logical methods.

compliant

Describing word

produced according to a set of rules.

estimator engineer

Noun

person who designs and builds software or hardware.

computer storage

Noun

hardware that contains or can comprise information. Besides called memory.

cease-of-the-world cult

Substantive

grouping of people who believe the World or homo order will end soon.

flaw

Substantive

mistake or error.

fluctuate

Verb

to constantly alter back and forth.

hardware

Substantive

computer machinery.

hoax

Noun

object or event meant to deceive or fool observers.

interest charge per unit

Noun

amount of money a lender charges a customer for a loan.

machinery

Substantive

mechanical appliances or tools used in manufacturing.

Noun

energy released by reactions among the nuclei of atoms.

power plant

Noun

industrial facility for the generation of electric energy.

radiations

Noun

energy, emitted as waves or particles, radiating outward from a source.

software

Noun

electronic programs of code that tell computers what to practise.

transportation

Substantive

movement of people or goods from ane place to another.

h2o pressure

Noun

force pressed on an object or expanse by water in contact with it.

Substantive

computer flaw that might have caused bug when dealing with dates across December 31, 1999.

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Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/Y2K-bug/

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