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2012-12-21

The world ends Januar 19th 2038!

Congratulations! The fact that you are reading this means that the world did not end this night, as the Mayan calendar ticked from 12.19.19.17.19 to 13.0.0.0.0. This could be because most computers do not use the Mayan calendar to keep track of time, and they do not use the number 13 to denote negative numbers.

So let me talk about something much more serious. On January 19th 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC, the 32 bit signed integer clock, the most accurate time measuring mechanism ever devised, will turn NEGATIVE! Indeed, we will be thrust back to December 13th 1901! A time when Texas was booming with oil, and right before the death of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

With so many bits in a computer, what prompted computer engineers to use only a 32 bit SIGNED integer to keep time? Possibly, because they figured there would never be a need to go beyond 2038. What did they know that we don't know? How does this link in to the Unix World End Prophecy? And how do you prepare youself for 2038?

So many questions, so little time to exploit the 2038 phenomenon before everyone figures out I'm pulling their leg. Look out for my future seminar: The 32 bit signed integer clock and how to elevate yourself to an unsigned integer of positivity to survive the end of the world!

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