The Y2k Problem Essays - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL, Hazards

The Y2k Problem Essays - Calendars, Software Bugs, COBOL, Hazards The Y2k Problem Y2K: Nearing Disaster or Minor Computer Flaw? By Pete Conti Imagine that, as you do annually, you are counting the minutes until the New Year arrives. You are watching Dick Clark announce that the countdown will begin soon, and you feel anxious. Finally, as you hear the offbeat 5-4-3-2-1-0, and let out a sigh of relief, something goes wrong. At precisely 12:00 A.M. on January 1 of the year 2000, computers across the nation crash, leaving the country in panic. Stores are looted, riots break out, 911 is dysfunctional, banks lose money, the stock market crashes, planes drop from the sky, and we are all left in the bitter darkness. Horror stories such as these are common among news broadcasts and the Internet, but many are wondering how the Y2K problem will, if at all, affect their lives. Some professionals say that the Y2K problem may only cause glitches in older, obsolete computers and mainframes, while others are warning the public, and urging proper preparedness for this imminent disaster. Although both sides of this conflict have very arguab le positions, the world is not taking the Y2K problem seriously enough. Before a valid position can be taken, one must first fully understand what the Y2K problem is, and how it might affect computers. Computer coding has always been constructed of zeros and ones, and the finished product is often called the computer language. Over the last thirty years, namely the early eighties, computer coding was much different than it is today. During this time, a string of zeros usually meant the end of a particular program. For these computers, which are very few, when the year 2000 arrives, the Central Processing Unit, or CPU, will determine that the zeros in the year 2000s date as the end of the software, and the computer will crash. This only makes up a very small percentage of the computers that will be affected by the Y2K problem, the others being the more modern computers that still are not compliant with the year 2000s date. These computers, unlike the earlier, primitive ones, would not recognize the year 2000 as the date in which the software stops functio ning, but instead as the year 1900. This is due to the fact that many date systems are set up using only two numbers, so for example, 01 would be read as 1901, because these computers are still set in the 20th century. Some argue that, because the computer would not crash, and simply believe the date was 1900, the Y2K problem is not a major dilemma; the vast majority of computers would still be fully functional, so fixing the problem doesnt require so much urgency. The problem could be fixed after the year 2000, so panic is unnecessary. This is obviously not the case, when you think about all of the computers that run on dates. Almost all of the systems that run schedule-keeping programs will be adversely affected if this problem is not fixed. What about the telephone company? What would happen if you were on the telephone at the date change? What about Travel agencies and package delivery systems? These questions remain unanswered, and will stay that way until the year 2000 arrives . The Y2K problem is very serious, but it is causing many more problems than simply computers. There are radicals supporting every viewpoint. Some people who are worried about the Y2K problem are withdrawing all of their money from banks, and stockpiling their houses with months worth of food, while others simply fail to acknowledge the Y2K problem. Others are actually trying to get rich off perhaps the biggest problem in computers short history. There are numerous fake, overpriced, and overrated Y2K survival kits on sale for ridiculous prices. Imagine what would happen if Y2K did cause major problems, what would the radicals do then? While it is obvious that many are over-preparing for this potential upcoming problem, the ones that are paying no attention to it may be in danger. NBC news stated that withdrawing money from banks is actually a bad idea, as many banks have already converted to Y2K compliant software, but having necessary items such as a radio, batteries, a flashlight,

Bernissartia - Facts and Figures

Bernissartia - Facts and Figures Name: Bernissartia (from Bernissart, after the region of Belgium where it was discovered); pronounced BURN-iss-ARE-tee-yah Habitat: Swamps and shorelines of western Europe Historical Period: Early Cretaceous (145-140 million years ago) Size and Weight: About two feet long and 5-10 pounds Diet: Fish, shellfish and carrion Distinguishing Characteristics: Small size; long, pointed snout; two kinds of teeth in jaws About Bernissartia Except for its tiny size (only about two feet long from head to tail and no more than 10 pounds), Bernissartia looked pretty much like a modern crocodile, with its long tail, splayed limbs, elongated snout and powerful jaws. You might think a prehistoric crocodile this petite would have made it a point to stay away from larger reptiles, but Bernissartia appears to have shared the swamps of early Cretaceous western Europe with much bigger dinosaurs (which presumably left it alone in favor of less toothy prey). In fact, a handful of Bernissartia fossils have been discovered in close proximity to a specimen of Iguanodon, one possibility being that they were feasting on the carcass of this dead ornithopod before being drowned in a flash flood. One odd feature of Bernissartia, crocodile-wise, was the two kinds of teeth embedded in its jaws: sharp incisors in front and flat molars in back. This is a clue that Bernissartia may have fed on shellfish (which needed to be ground to bits before swallowing) as well as fish, and, as stated above, may also have subsisted on the carcasses of already-dead sauropods and ornithopods. One likely interpretation of this behavior is that Bernissartia roamed up and down the beaches of its presumed island habitat (during the early Cretaceous period, much of western Europe was submerged under water), eating pretty much anything that happened to wash up on shore.