Inside Iowa State
March 5, 1999
Anticipating Y2K: What the experts say
Lots of ideas are circulating about what will happen when the clock passes midnight next Dec. 31. Inside sought out a few opinions among ISU faculty and staff. Here's what they think:
"U.S. banks and Wall Street started early and are in good
shape; other big corporations are getting there. But I
wouldn't want a company in Russia or China owing me money in
January."
Arnie Cowan, associate professor of finance
"Things don't always go as we plan! Helping families find
reliable information about Y2K and use their strengths in
problem-solving eases the stress of change, exaggeration and
vulnerability."
Colleen Jolly, extension program specialist, human
development and family studies
"Most personal computers will need only minor adjustments and
patches to make them compliant with Y2K standards. If the
electricity is on and the Internet works normally on the
morning of Jan. 1, 2000, it will be business as usual for
most personal computer users."
Lance Wilhelm, technology support specialist, College of
Education
"Y2K does not pose a significant threat to the security of
computers because computer security systems are relatively
recent developments that have been built with Y2K in
mind."
Doug Jacobson, associate professor of electrical and computer
engineering
"The point to many Americans is that the truth may be out
there, but since it is unknown, it is not predictive. Since
we can't predict it, we cannot control it and that makes it
quite scary."
Alan Marcus, professor of history and director, Center
for Historical Studies of Technology and Science
"Astronomers have a broader view of the problem, and we
solved it a long time ago. We care about things that cross
millennial (and century) boundaries all the time, and to get
around the problem we use the Julian date, which is the time
in days since 4004 BC. So, Jan. 1, 2000, will be JD 2451545.
No big deal."
Steven Kawaler, professor of physics and astronomy
"We've prepared for snow storms, we've prepared for floods
You hope these things don't happen, but you know they
sometimes do. We may not know exactly what will happen Jan.
1, 2000, but we're preparing for it to minimize the impact it
might have."
Peter Siegel, director, Academic Information Technology
"Common-sense food storage will be the best defense against
possible Y2K food-related issues. For example, if you are
concerned you may lose electricity on Jan. 1, 2000, then
stock your freezers below normal levels or purchase a
generator that could provide supplemental, temporary power to
keep food safe."
Connie Betterley, extension nutrition specialist, family
and consumer sciences
"Iowa is in the best shape to tackle this problem because the
small manufacturing and agricultural extension services are
linked and working with the SBA (U.S. Small Business
Administration) on it."
Willem Bakker, director, Iowa Manufacturing Technology
Center
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