The 2038 ‘Epochalypse’ Threat: How a Hidden Tech Time Bomb Could Ground Planes and Crash Your Devices

So, here’s a kicker for you: in just over a decade, we’re staring down what tech folks are ominously calling the ‘epochalypse’—and no, it’s not the plot of the next sci-fi flick. It’s the ‘year 2038 problem,’ a ticking time bomb buried inside the very guts of billions of devices worldwide. Think your smart TV or even your car suddenly deciding that 2039 is some sort of glitch in the matrix—basically, when the Unix system hits January 19, 2038, it just can’t handle the date anymore. Timekeeping for these devices? Poof. Gone. Sounds like something out of a time travel comedy, right? Except it’s not funny when your bank won’t spit out cash or your GPS can’t tell you where the hell you are. Buckle up, because unlike the Y2K bug which mostly flopped, this one might actually bite—and hard. Curious to know what exactly’s at stake and whether your toaster’s on the hit list? LEARN MORE.

In just over 10 years we will face an ‘epochalypse’.

Known as the ‘year 2038 problem’, experts say it could affect billions of devices worldwide.

What is the ‘year 2038 problem’?

Also referred to as the Unix Millennium Bug or Y2K38, it’s essentially a computer time representation issue caused by the limitations of how time is stored in a device, which runs the Unix operating system.

So basically, when engineers were inputting the time into the Unix operating system, there was a bug that limited the function for any given device to accurately tell the time past 19 January 2038.

The ‘year 2038 problem’ is set to take place on 19 January 2038 (Getty Stock Images)

What will happen on 19 January 2038?

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of the Finnish antivirus firm F-Secure, says the epochalypse can have much worse consequences than being unable to tell the time, as reported by Tom’s Guide.

“Try changing your phone’s calendar to 2039,” Hyponnen said. “You can’t.”

He explained: “Banks may not be able to dispense money or make transactions. Cellphones may not be able to make calls.

“Your home alarm system may go nuts, or may not be able to tell if an intruder has broken in.

“GPS-based navigation systems, such as on aircraft, may not be able to tell GPS receivers where they are.”

What devices will be affected by the epochalypse?

A lot could go wrong (Getty Stock Images)

Any operating system that uses Linux, or anything similar, will be affected.

This can include certain:

• DVD players

• Smart TVs

• Digital cameras

• Home routers

• Patient monitors

• Infusion pumps

• Smart meters

• Older versions of Windows

• Banking software

• Stock trading platforms

• Databases

• Modern cars which contain 50–150 microcontrollers each

• Older cars which use 32-bit chips

It will be worse than the ‘Y2K bug’ in 2000

This could very well happen (Getty Stock Images)

Back in the year 2000, the Y2K bug was feared to be a computer system error where two-digit years would make the year 2000 read as 1900.

For most people, this didn’t happen and there was no global catastrophe.

“I remember spending the night of Dec. 31, 1999 on the phone with our partners, beginning with New Zealand, to make sure nothing happened,” Hypponen said.

“Yet [the Y2K bug] wasn’t a dud. A tremendous amount of work went into fixing bugs in the months beforehand.

“And there were still problems, for example in healthcare computers in the UK,” he added.

“That led to 154 false positives sent to pregnant women about whether their fetuses had Down’s syndrome. Some babies were aborted.

“I guarantee we will run out of time to fix all the bugs regarding 2038.”