Portable general timestamp format, not 2038-limited

[Ilya Zakharevich]

[A complimentary Cc of this posting was sent to
Martin Gregorie 
<martin at see.sig.for.address>], who wrote in article <u1fdm4-32o.ln1 at zoogz.gregorie.org>:
> >> If Stephen Hawking is right, the shape of the universe
> >> is such that there isn't any time "before" the big bang
> >> at all. It's like asking what's north of the North Pole.

> > I do not remember any statement like this - even from 70s...  Could
> > you provide a reference?  There were conjectures about "initial
> > singularity", but I do not recollect them related to SH.

> Its in "A Short History of Time". Sorry I can't quote chapter or page, 
> but a friend borrowed my copy and lent me Dawkins "Climbing Mount 
> Improbable" before vanishing, never to be seen since. Not an equal 
> exchange: I preferred ASHOT to CMI.

I would prefer a reference to a peer-reviewed paper.  ;-)

Thanks,
Ilya