"Problems" That Aren't Problems
Certain problematic years occur so far in the future—well beyond the likely lifespan of Earth or the Sun, and even past some predictions of the lifetime of the universe—that they are mainly referenced as matters of theoretical interest, jokes, or indications that a related problem truly is solved for any reasonable definition of "solved".
- The year 292,277,026,296 (2.9×1011) and 584,554,051,223 (5.8×1011) problems: the years that 64-bit Unix time becomes negative (assuming a signed number) or reset to zero (for an unsigned representation).
- The year 5,391,559,471,918,239,497,011,222,876,596 (5.4×1030) and 10,783,118,943,836,478,994,022,445,751,223 (1.1×1031) problems: the years that 128-bit Unix time becomes negative (assuming a signed number) or reset to zero (for an unsigned representation).
Note: these year values are based on an average year being 365.2425 days, which matches the 4/100/400 leap year rules of the common Gregorian calendar. Additional adjustments to the calendar over intervals this long are unavoidable (ignoring that all of these times far exceed the likely existence of the Earth), so the year numbers should be considered approximate.
Read more about this topic: Time Formatting And Storage Bugs
Famous quotes containing the words problems that and/or problems:
“The question of place and climate is most closely related to the question of nutrition. Nobody is free to live everywhere; and whoever has to solve great problems that challenge all his strength actually has a very restricted choice in this matter. The influence of climate on our metabolism, its retardation, its acceleration, goes so far that a mistaken choice of place and climate can not only estrange a man from his task but can actually keep it from him: he never gets to see it.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“The problems of the world, AIDS, cancer, nuclear war, pollution, are, finally, no more solvable than the problem of a tree which has borne fruit: the apples are overripe and they are falling—what can be done?... Nothing can be done, and nothing needs to be done. Something is being done—the organism is preparing to rest.”
—David Mamet (b. 1947)