Only a few know the day they'll end.
I'm among those and I can say
that in precisely 20 years my dear friend
I'll live my last day, and pass away.
I'm not unique, and 'cause of my announced chute
They already found a substitute.
I have to say he's really great,
So great he'll bury us all, and the planet.
I'm not bitter, I made my time
I'm 48 and still dating
So will you read between the rhyme,
And find who I am, without waiting ?
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1 Answer
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3
You are the:
Signed 32-bit integer used by computers to count the seconds that have elapsed since the epoch of 1-Jan-1970 (which makes you 48 years old now).
You're referring to the:
Year 2038 problem that will occur on 19-Jan-2038 as the date of your demise
Which is when:
The signed 32-bit integer rolls over as it crosses 2^31 - 1 thereby becoming a negative number indicating a date in 1901.
Your substitute is the:
64-bit timestamp which will allow for dates that greatly exceed the age of the universe.
Nice one waiting for this particular date!
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1$\begingroup$ That’s what will happen in 20 years but that’s not the narrator $\endgroup$– ferretCommented Jan 18, 2018 at 0:42
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2$\begingroup$ I figured it out right away but didn't see the riddle until now. I'm hoping we can get more puzzles like these. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 18, 2018 at 2:38