The Clock of the Long Now

31.44841 -104.90384Coordinates: 31 ° 26 ′ 54.28 " N , 104 ° 54 ′ 13.82" W.

Prototype of the “clock of the long now” in Science Museum, London

Clock of the Long Now ( Engl. "The clock of the long now") is an under construction mechanical clock , the time will show in the next 10,000 years.

inspiration

The clock is one of the main projects of the Long Now Foundation . Inspired by the general mood in the run-up to the turn of the millennium, the founders of the foundation came to the conclusion that it would be good for the long-term survival of mankind if their field of vision really extended far into the future.

Requirements for the clock

Longevity : The watch should still be sufficiently accurate even after 10,000 years and must not contain any valuable parts (such as jewelry, expensive metals or special alloys) that could be looted.
Maintainability : Future generations should be able to repair the clock. You shouldn't need any further plans for this, and Bronze Age technology should be sufficient.
Transparency : To understand how the watch works, you shouldn't have to stop or take it apart.
Ability to develop : it should be possible to keep improving the clock over time.
Scalability : It should be possible to build functional models of the clock from a table clock up to monumental size using the same blueprint.

history

The project was conceived by computer engineer and inventor Danny Hillis in 1986 and the first prototype of the watch was completed just in time for the turn of the millennium . This prototype, about two meters high, is currently on display in the Science Museum in London . As of December 2007, two more prototypes were exhibited in the Long Now Museum & Store at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco .

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was so enthusiastic about the idea that he supported the construction with 42 million US dollars. The preparatory construction work on the planned location of the clock on a property owned by Jeff Bezos in the mountains of Texas has already started. The clock was poetically named "The Clock of the Long Now" by the British music artist Brian Eno .

description

The individual components

The clock will be installed deep underground in a tunnel in Texas. This is to protect it against any vibrations. The overall concept is based on an electromechanical construction. An astrolabe with a planetary machine is placed in the center of the clock .

The watch gets its energy from the temperature fluctuations between day and night. If the visitors want to see the currently valid display, they have to set the mechanism in motion themselves and thereby supply further energy.

A torsion pendulum was chosen as the timer , which is very reliable but inaccurate. To compensate for it, the pendulum is synchronized to noon by the midday sun with the help of a sapphire glass window . This enables the clock to keep the correct time for thousands of years.

A glockenspiel working according to a certain algorithm (developed by Brian Eno) ensures that the melodies will not repeat themselves within 10,000 years.

literature

Stewart Brand : The ticking of the long now. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3-518-41150-0 .

Web links

Commons : Long Now - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

The 10,000 Year Clock The Long Now Foundation.
How to Make a Clock Run for 10,000 Years Wired.
Americans Build Skyscraper Clocks To Last The World Online.
Remembering the future Greenpeace magazine.
Photo stream from Long Now Flickr (images).
The Long Now Foundation's videos Vimeo (Videos).

Individual evidence

↑ Clemens Gleich: Americans build clocks the size of high-rise buildings for eternity. In the world. August 6, 2011, p. 24.
↑ Looking ahead: a horizon of 10,000 years . - Quotes from Stewart Brand: The ticking of the long now. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2000. pp. 8-10.
↑ Florian Sprenger: The Clock of the Long-Now - The clock, the boredom and the observer .
^ Principles . In: The 10,000 Year Clock. The Long Now Foundation, accessed August 18, 2011.
^ The Clock of The Long Now . mechanical drawings and assemblies. The Long Now Foundation, 2002 (PDF 17.6 MB).
↑ Contact Information . The Long Now Foundation, accessed August 18, 2011.
↑ Dylan Tweney: How to Make a Clock Run for 10,000 Years. In: wired.com. Wired, June 23, 2011, accessed February 3, 2017 .

[1] Clemens Gleich: Americans build clocks the size of high-rise buildings for eternity. In the world. August 6, 2011, p. 24.

[2] Looking ahead: a horizon of 10,000 years . - Quotes from Stewart Brand: The ticking of the long now. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 2000. pp. 8-10.

[3] Florian Sprenger: The Clock of the Long-Now - The clock, the boredom and the observer .

[4] Principles . In: The 10,000 Year Clock. The Long Now Foundation, accessed August 18, 2011.

[5] The Clock of The Long Now . mechanical drawings and assemblies. The Long Now Foundation, 2002 (PDF 17.6 MB).

[6] Contact Information . The Long Now Foundation, accessed August 18, 2011.

[7] Dylan Tweney: How to Make a Clock Run for 10,000 Years. In: wired.com. Wired, June 23, 2011, accessed February 3, 2017 .