Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Long Now Clocks In

Okay, here's the plot: a zillionaire businessman is setting up his own space program; he's also funding construction of an enormous all-mechanical clock, hidden inside a mountain, automatically set by sighting the noon sun, wound by the difference in temperature between daytime highs and nighttime lows, ticking once every ten seconds, tolling once every thousand years and designed to last ten thousand years--

Implausible? Too bad. It's not a book or a film; it's real. --You probably bought something from him this week: Jeff Bezos, of Amazon.com and Blue Origin, is also deeply involved in the Long Now Foundation's clock project.

And it is stunning. At the very least, he'll leave something to freak out the next civilization.

Earlier today, I wrote about my general suspicion and dislike of "Great Leaders." Flip side, I do think one man can change things for everyone, if he's standing in the right place, using the right lever -- and gets enough folks pitching in. Not all such movers are politicians and not all of the change wrought is for the worse. Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse? Scoot over.

8 comments:

Bubblehead Les. said...

So Giant Mutant Radioactive Post-Apocalyptic Cockroaches can tell Time? Didn't know that.

Dave H said...

Les: Yes, I think most politicians can tell time.

karrde said...

Sci-fi author Neal Stephenson used a similar idea in one of his books.

It was interesting, but the core of the story didn't depend on the 10000-yr clock.

Still, it does sound like a story.

Jerry said...

The problem is that 'Mittons' is a rino. A mirror image of the 'lawyer from Chicago'. I actually do NOT want to vote for tne(insert your favorite expletive here). Now, I get no choice.

Roberta X said...

Um, okay?

Phssthpok said...

"-- and gets enough folks pitching in."

I parsed that as 'enough FORKS'. As in: Pitchforks. As if to say 'enough thugs prodding the masses'.

It seemed very unlike you so I had to go back and read it again to make sure. I'm glad to see the wookie-suit retains it's lustrous glow.

Andrew said...

I'm just boggled by the financial cost of such a project, and the many, many better uses that could be made of that dough...

On the other hand, it's not my money, so I guess those who have the means AND love big Tinkertoys can certainly spend it however they want.

Roberta X said...

He's already spending plenty on spaceflight -- what else would you have him spend it on that benefits the species?

Once you lay off the stopgap charity, what's left? What do you do to get society back to taking the long view, to dream big and build a better tomorrow on something more substantial than wishful thinking and BS?