10, 000 Year Clock

Humans are now technologically advanced enough that we can create not only extraordinary wonders but also civilization-scale problems.

-Jeff Bezos

The 10,000 Year Clock, also known as the Long Now Clock, is a mechanical clock designed to keep time accurately for a period of 10,000 years. It is a project initiated by the Long Now Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1996 with the goal of fostering long-term thinking and promoting ideas that can help humanity thrive over the long haul. It’s a special clock, designed to be a symbol, an icon for long-term thinking.

The clock is intended to serve as a symbol and reminder of the long-term nature of our existence and the importance of considering the future in our actions today. It is designed to be a durable and robust timekeeping device that can withstand the test of time and continue functioning for millennia.

Ten thousand years is about the age of civilization, so a 10, 000 Year Clock would measure out a future of civilization equal to its past. That assumes we are in the middle of whatever journey we are on — an implicit statement of optimism.

Why would anyone build a clock inside a mountain with the hope that it will ring for 10,000 years? Part of the answer: just so people will ask this question, and having asked it, prompt themselves to conjure with notions of generations and millennia.

If you have a clock ticking for 10,000 years what kinds of generational-scale questions and projects will it suggest?

If a clock can keep going for ten millennia, shouldn’t we make sure our civilization does as well?

If the clock keeps going after we are personally long dead, why not attempt other projects that require future generations to finish?

The 10,000 Year Clock aims to encourage people to think beyond short-term concerns and consider the long-term implications of their actions. It serves as a symbol of hope and a reminder of our responsibility to future generations.

The larger question is, as virologist Jonas Salk once asked, “Are we being good ancestors?”