Clock of the Long Now - Installation Begins

“The Long Now is the recognition that the precise moment you’re in grows out of the past and is a seed for the future.” - Brian Eno (founding board member of The Long Now Foundation)
After over a decade of design and fabrication, we have begun installing the first parts of the Clock of the Long Now on site in West Texas. In this video you can see the first elements to be assembled underground, the drive weight, winder and main gearing. This is the first of many stages to be installed, and we continue to fabricate parts for the rest of the Clock in several shops along the west coast.
The 10,000 Year Clock was conceived by Long Now co-founder Danny Hillis as an icon to long-term thinking, and the first prototype of the Clock now resides in the Science Museum in London. This monument scale version, built in partnership with Long Now supporter Jeff Bezos, began with construction of the underground site itself, and is now moving into the installation phase.
This monument scale Clock is designed to run for ten millennia with minimal maintenance and interruption. The Clock is powered by mechanical energy harvested from the temperature difference from day to night, as well as the people that visit it. The primary materials used in the Clock are special grades of stainless steel, titanium and dry running ceramic ball bearings.
To learn more about the 10,000 Year Clock visit longnow.org/clock/
The Long Now Foundation was founded in 01996 as a non-profit dedicated to encouraging long-term thinking and responsibility. The 10,000 Year Clock is one of our many projects which include long-term data archiving, documenting endangered languages, and producing events and media that engage the long-term future. Long Now is entirely funded by donations and the support of more than 9000 members around the world. Find out more at Longnow.org
Some of the engineers and fabricators seen this video include:
Jascha Little: Power System Lead Engineer
Brian Ford: Lead Install Engineer
Jake Faw: Machinist and Install
Alexander Rose: Project Design and Install
Sean Riley: Lead Rigging Design
Dave Freitag: Rigger
Aaron Griffith: Site Supervisor
We would also like to thank the amazing people, partners, shops, and artisans that we have worked with over the years to make these parts and the underground site. Without all their devoted efforts and attention to detail this work would not be possible.
Machinist Inc.
Rand Machine Works
Swaggart Brothers Construction
Seattle Solstice
Bollinger Atelier
NW Precast
CG Mechanical
Applied Invention
Boca Bearings
LMI
Autodesk
Video Production by Sustainability Media
Director of photography: Chris Baldwin
Photography and editing: Jesse Chandler

[@gokhanspacex]

I am very happy to follow the long now watch, I dream of a very distant future, I am glad to have you, long now foundation.

[@mpritchard]

It's so great to see it starting to come together. I hope that I have a chance to see it in person someday. Kudos to the design and build teams!

[@juddwilliams1535]

What a piece of work is man, in imagination and in time

[@CapperPell]

Glad to see this coming together - can't wait to see it in person!

[@chrisbrousseau]

Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved on the progress to date - amazing to see this come together

[@thingfully8016]

Delighted to see this!

[@shannonmcvey8669]

I remember reading the "clock of the long now" book when it first came out. Amazing to see this actually coming together.

[@civicbynature]

Can't wait till it's finished!

[@dansv1]

Wow, Stuart Kendall's stone carving machine did an amazing job.

[@hdraffin]

I almost can't stand how exciting this is lol.

[@MrBurgerphone1014]

Those cracks in the walls worry me

[@hippiehillape]

the artist in me is fascinated by this project, then i look outside to my garden sundial and gnomon

[@garystreit5383]

Looks like the Installation Site is 31°26'54.63"N, 104°54'14.79"W

[@scottthrift4294]

First. Amazing progress, congratulations. Is there a countdown for the moment it goes into motion? Will there be an event surrounding that event?

[@dansv1]

Scott Thrift Whenever asked about a timeline they always respond: "We are long term thinkers. We don't do deadlines."

[@markbrandus]

Where we need to be thinking ...

[@kevymoranski3887]

Anyone got the time?

[@lilyvega171]

What are the lifetimes of the metals you are making this clock of? With a half-life of about 63 years for titanium, the periodic table of elements does not have anything near 10,000years

[@ErickSoares3]

I think that they expect make upgrades in the future.

[@lzugner]

buzz kill.

[@dansv1]

The half life of 63 years is for a radioisotope of titanium.

[@chrislassiter1894]

Lily Vega they use ceramic parts for areas of friction or corrosion.

[@jjmcook]

They should use the Human Era calendar to put this clock in proper context.

[@longnow]

We like the Human Era calendar! But we've already committed to our own 5-digit year approach: blog.longnow.org/02013/12/31/long-now-years-five-digit-dates-and-10k-compliance-at-home/

[@jjmcook]

I had figured as much. Just seemed like such a good fit. I'll keep it as my head canon. Phenomenal work. Might get me to take up hiking just to be able to view it in person.

[@gu9838]

sad thing is we will never know if it works or not lol those who are alive now

[@honeymaru68]

!!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!! !!!

[@ugetridofit]

The money we waste on fruitless ventures is just sad.