# Time, Timezones, Metric Time, Losing and Saving

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2022-03-29
- Length: 1h 05m
- Episode: 10
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/be87fdb1

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company host a discussion on the complexities of timekeeping, covering Daylight Saving Time, Y2K, the 2038 problem, and leap seconds. They share specific engineering war stories, including a Y2K bug in the 'at' command that caused $100,000 in destroyed CDs, a DST-related OAuth token expiration bug, and a GPS week number rollover issue. The conversation highlights how historical calendar decisions and hardware limitations continue to cause software failures in modern systems like Oracle, Spanner, and Elm.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=0) Introduction: Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time Debate
- [7:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=457) Y2K: The 'at' Command Bug and Destroyed CDs
- [15:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=928) Y2K and DST: Elm Email and OAuth Token Expiration
- [22:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=1364) Indiana Time Zones and the Time Zone Database
- [31:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=1910) Build System Bugs and Leap Day Contracts
- [35:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=2130) Leap Seconds, Google Mountain View Time, and Hardware Bugs
- [48:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=2902) The 2038 Problem, GPS Rollover, and Oracle Bugs
- [57:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving#t=3478) Cory Doctorow's 'Epoch' and Podcast Launch

## Topics

- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Elm (other)
- Oracle (company)
- GPS (other)
- Spanner (other)
- Cory Doctorow (other)
- Mark Shuttleworth (other)
- LPC55S69 (chip)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [It Works With Option Number 5](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2025-06-19-it-works-with-option-number-5) (The Amp Hour)
- [298: In the Cow Case](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2019-08-09-298-in-the-cow-case) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep106: Connector Kerfuffle, Tuning Fork Time, Spinach Contact Prints, and Tesla's Permanent Memory](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-02-19-ep106-connector-kerfuffle-tuning-fork-time-spinach-contact-prints-and-teslas-per) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep007: Everything Microcontrollers, Deadly Clock Accuracy, CT X-Rays, Mountains Of E-Waste](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2019-02-22-ep007-everything-microcontrollers-deadly-clock-accuracy-ct-x-rays-mountains-of-e) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Ep 248: Cthulhu Clock Radio Transharmonium, Thunderscan, and How to Fill Up in Space](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-12-15-ep-248-cthulhu-clock-radio-transharmonium-thunderscan-and-how-to-fill-up-in-spac) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2022-03-29-time-timezones-metric-time-losing-and-saving. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.