Why is Jeff Bezos building a giant ‘millennial' clock inside a mountain? [$42M!]

www.techradar.com ^ | 21 Feb 2018 | By Jamie Carter

[bigdaddy45]

Bring it up at the next shareholders meeting,

[G Larry]

Well, ....Its about time!

[Catmom]

Well, you wouldn’t expect a fellow like Bezos to fund anything like the restoration of a cathedral, would you?

[PIF]

“... the 10,000 Year Clock can be maintained by simple bronze-age technology. That’s predicated on the theory that human societies of the future could easily be more primitive than our own.”

—
That implies that the civilization(s) prior to our own were more advanced than we are. Also the statement implies mankind is getting stupider, less intelligent (other than lefties like Bezos, the Bozo).

[spokeshave]

Too bad that when the next ice age kicks in the 500 ft tunnel will be filled with sold ice....capped with a glacier....so sad.

[BBB333]

“...It chimed twice to start the new millennium on New Year’s Eve 1999...”

The new millennium began at 12:00:01 AM on January 1, 2001 - the clock is already off 365 days!

[freedumb2003]

It used to be cocaine was God’s way of telling you that you have too much money.

Now it is insane projects.

Better the latter than the former!

Go for it, Jeff!

[spokeshave]

sold = solid.....repeat coffee required.

[Red Badger]

LOL!..................Send it back to Amazon for a refund!....................FREE SHIPPING!...................

[Menehune56]

In another nod to the 'how long will civilization last?' debate, the 10,000 Year Clock can be maintained by simple bronze-age technology. That’s predicated on the theory that human societies of the future could easily be more primitive than our own.

[ZOOKER]

The Mayans has different calendars and concepts of time. One of their time units the Long Count turned over every 7,885 solar years.

I thought of that too. Wonder if a doomsday cult will grow up around this, predicting the end of the world when the clock hits 10K?

Also, this civ has been going on a while now, did he start the clock set to 5K? 6K? How much time have we got left, I need to know how much beer to buy...

[Red Badger]

Or the building of homeless shelters, or soup kitchens, or university scholarships, or..................

[Red Badger]

Don’t buy any green bananas...................

[deadrock]

Is anyone on the ‘richest list’ not a lunatic?

[bruin66]

See tag line. I think Einstein was on to something...

[ctdonath2]

Because it’s a really cool idea on many levels, and because some interesting people are willing to throw enough money at it to make it happen.

Like art & architecture, I think it’s worthwhile to do some engineering projects ONLY for the purpose of achieving an engineering marvel that will survive across generations/millennia - a kind of art.

(So long as it’s privately & voluntarily funded, of course.)

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

It’s to go with these speakers also made inside a mountain;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXwzSPc0FoA

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Why 10,000 years exactly? Most civilizations last about 10,000 years.

There is no civilization on Earth that has lasted 10,000 years yet. Is this a projection or an educated guess?

[Red Badger]

Back in the Renaissance, art was a ‘patron’ thing. It was beautiful.

Now we have government funded art that is ugly and depressing...............

[ctdonath2]

Conventional thinking does not achieve great results.

“Strange how much human progress & accomplishment comes from contemplation of the irrelevant.” - Scott Kim

This clock project does explore the engineering extremes of mechanical longevity, ambient power, and other technological advancements which can be utilized elsewhere.