eli5: 2039 32 bit integer overflow

Question

eli5: 2039 32 bit integer overflow

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Answer 1

Start a timer with a fixed interval, like a stopwatch or a clock on the wall. Eventually the hands go all the way around. That’s it.

The bug is that you can’t know how many times the hands have gone around. You don’t know if it’s the first time around, the tenth time around, or even the millionth time around.

Computers had a timer that started at 1 January 1970. The timer is a 32-bit number, ticking once per second. When it advances past 3:14:07 on 19 January 2038, that timer loops back around.