Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos has a hobby of his own – he is helping build a 10,000-year clock that ticks just once a year.
What Happened: The 10,000-year clock was first introduced by computer scientist and inventor Danny Hillis in 1995. The idea of building this clock was discussed by Hillis and Bezos, who are long-time friends, in 2005.
In 2011, Bezos shared an update on the clock’s construction, stating that engineers had drilled a 500-foot-deep hole into the Sierra Diablo Mountain range in Texas, a property he owns.
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Bezos and The Long Now Foundation, co-founded by Hillis, aim to make the clock a collaborative project with future generations. The clock will feature five room-sized anniversary chambers, with the animations for the 100, 1,000, and 10,000-year anniversary chambers to be designed by future builders.
Bezos announced in 2018 that the installation of the clock mechanism had started within the shaft.
He had previously stated in 2011 that he would invest $42 million in the clock, a figure that has been cited in subsequent reports on the project until December 2023.
Why It Matters: The 10,000-Year Clock is not just a timepiece, but a symbol of long-term thinking. Hillis has been contemplating and working on the clock since 1989.
The clock is designed to tick once a year, with the century hand moving forward every 100 years, and the cuckoo appearing every millennium. The vision is to build a clock that will keep time for the next 10,000 years.
The construction of the clock is a significant task. The construction updates reveal that a 12.5-foot diameter, 500-foot-deep vertical shaft has been completed using a mining technique called raise boring.
The next major step involves cutting the spiral stairway using a robotic stone-cutting saw. In parallel, the clock components are being manufactured and tested.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photos courtesy: Clock of the Long Now and Shutterstock
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