Sunspots

2 definitions found

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  sunspots n. 1. Notional cause of an odd error. "Why did the program
     suddenly turn the screen blue?" "Sunspots, I guess." 2. Also the cause
     of {bit rot} -- from the myth that sunspots will increase {cosmic rays},
     which can flip single bits in memory. See also {phase of the moon}.
  
  



From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  sunspots
       
          1. Notional cause of an odd error.  "Why did the program
          suddenly turn the screen blue?"  "Sunspots, I guess."
       
          2. Also the cause of {bit rot} - from the myth that sunspots
          will increase {cosmic rays}, which can flip single bits in
          memory.  See also {phase of the moon}.
       
          [{Jargon File}]