NC State University

Department of Computer Science Colloquia Series 1998-99

Date: Tuesday, December 1, 1998
Time: 3:00 PM (talk)
Place: Withers 402A, NCSU Historical Campus (click for courtesy parking request)

Speaker: Dr. Jeff Zadeh, Computer Science, Francis Marion University, Florence, SC

Year 2000 and Computer Technology!

Abstract: On January 1, 2000, not only computers but also other electronic devices and equipment may not function properly. Power supply, transportation, banking, communications, and health care services will be effected.
The Year 2000 (or known as a Y2K) problem is a disaster like a flood or an earthquake which affect organisations all over the world. The difference is, this disaster is scheduled to affect everyone simultaneously, and can not be delayed. Every person on the planet whose life is influenced in any way by computers or electronic circuitry will be affected.
CNN on November 15, 1998 reported: Nuclear weapons for Y2K are not ready! Thousands of chips and millions of line codes need to be corrected!
The greater impact of this disaster will be on the militaries. According to the Pentagon, only four countries: the US, England, Canada, and Australia are preparing their military computers for the year 2000.
The US may be ready, but the Russia, China, and other countries are NOT ready! So we must deactivate all nuclear weapons before January 1, 2000.

This talk will be about hardware, software, and other issues related to the Y2K for the US and the world.

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