The Antarctic Sun A thousand years ago, some Europeans feared the world would end with the first millennium. Now, at the close of this millennium, concern has spread to all levels of societies around the world.
Some people say the end is near.
Others seem less alarmed but forewarn of gas, cash and other shortages as people hoard supplies they fear will become unavailable. In Antarctica, and in our support structure back in the U.S., there is relative calm. While it's likely that there will be problems in some areas of the world where technology lags, the U.S. Antarctic Program has spent over a million dollars since 1997 to ensure that the remote, resource-limited stations in Antarctica will not have problems. While many people are concerned about computers, Bradley said, they are not the primary concern with the Antarctic program. The problem is caused by confusion in pieces of electronics which have internal clocks.