Secretly Incredibly Fascinating cover image

Secretly Incredibly Fascinating

The Y2K Bug

Mar 17, 2025
Clint and Justin McElroy, podcasters and comic book authors famous for their work on The Adventure Zone, take a hilarious trip down memory lane to explore the Y2K bug. They recount their personal experiences and the absurdity of prepping for a tech apocalypse, including stockpiling toilet paper as currency. The discussion wades through wild media hysteria, bizarre advice, and the ironic aftermath of global preparations for a non-event. With humor and community spirit, the McElroys shine a light on our quirky relationship with technology and the past.
01:10:36

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Y2K highlighted a cultural dichotomy between media dramatization of potential disasters and public panic-driven preparedness efforts.
  • The technical origins of Y2K stemmed from outdated computer programming practices, sparking widespread fears of system failures that ultimately proved overstated.

Deep dives

Cultural Impact of Y2K

Y2K evoked a fascinating cultural response, with mixed reactions between the mainstream media and fringe conspiracy theorists. Various predictions of chaos were popularized, often leading to bizarre advice on preparedness. For example, a TV movie aired by NBC depicted an apocalyptic scenario, while numerous books promoted irrational survival tactics, including stockpiling supplies such as toilet paper and gold. This extreme response highlighted societal fears regarding dependence on technology and the fragility of modern systems.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode