video thumbnail 12:20
Why didn't GPS crash?

2019-04-12

[public] 350K views, 11.6K likes, 272 dislikes audio only

channel thumbStand-up Maths
4K

More on the GPS roll-over.

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/12/current_gps_epoch_ends/

"In the Future the Modernized GPS Navigation (CNAV and MNAV) message has a 13-bit week number, which for all practical purposes solves this ambiguity"

https://www.gps.gov/cgsic/meetings/2017/powers.pdf

See me turn on my TomTom:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/26065751

If you want to see more hilarious tales about roll-over errors then, well, READ MY BOOK.

Get it from Maths Gear and be guaranteed a signed first edition hard back.

https://mathsgear.co.uk/products/humble-pi

But it is also available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Humble-Pi-Comedy-Maths-Errors/dp/0241360234/ref=sr_1_1?_encoding=UTF8&tag=stanupmath-21

CORRECTIONS

- Sorry: I used “overflow” to refer to when the value bursts into the adjacent memory as opposed to just rolling back to zero. But an overflow can simply mean it has rolled over.

- I add the extra week bits to the wrong side of the number! Unbelievable. I even point to the other side of the screen in the video. Somehow I totally missed this until it was too late. I’m surprised loads of people are not pointing it out. So far only Kyle K has noticed. Good on you, Kyle.

- Let me know if you spot anything else!

Thanks to my Patreon supports who do support these videos and make them possible. Here is a random subset:

Vojtěch Mělnický

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James Dexter

Colin Williams

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https://www.patreon.com/standupmaths

Music by Howard Carter

Filming and editing by Matt Parker

Design by Simon Wright

MATT PARKER: Stand-up Mathematician

Website: http://standupmaths.com/

Maths book: http://wwwh.umble-pi.com

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