Orthodox Jews learn computer programming. Israel's army has been charged with addressing the country's year-2000 computer concerns. People will wonder whether the planes will fly, the phones will work, and the water will run.
Alarmists sound shrill, but there are real concerns.
A US automaker that has spent millions of dollars to fix its computers may still face production delays because of a supplier's computer glitches in, say, Thailand or Argentina. Russia has given NATO permission to investigate its systems, and the Pentagon has said it is not anxious. When a newspaper asked about potential Y2K havoc on the nation's foreign trade, a government official pointed out that the nation's harbors weren't automated. That's false comfort, Y2K experts say, because container ships coming into port could experience computer glitches. And imports of critical materials, such as food and oil, could be delayed because of Y2K problems at other ports.