Jeff Bezos is investing Rs 350 crore in building 500 feet clock that can run for 10,000 years; watch video

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is investing $42 million (roughly Rs 350 crore) in constructing a unique clock inside a mountain in West Texas. This clock, named the 10,000-Year Clock is designed to tick only once a year and chime once per millennium. The construction of the clock has already begun and Jeff Bezos shared a time-lapse of the video on his X-handle.  The conception of the massive 10,000-year clock, has been attributed to Danny Hillis, who is an entrepreneur and a computer scientist. He came up with the idea in 1986. 

Clock’s massive dimensions
The clock, standing at an impressive 500 feet tall, utilises the Earth's thermal cycles to power its mechanical components, including a solar synchroniser, pendulum, and chime generator. It is synchronised with the sun daily at noon and keeps track of the year, century, and millennium. The chime generator produces over 3.5 million distinct bell chime sequences to ensure each day sounds unique.

According to a report by Fox News, the clock also features five room-sized anniversary chambers, each dedicated to the 1-year, 10-year, 100-year, 1,000-year, and 10,000-year anniversaries. These chambers serve as sealed spaces for time-related artifacts and messages about humanity's future. The first chamber showcases a model of the solar system, while the others remain open for future generations to contribute.

Inspiration behind the massive clock

Jeff Bezos is motivated by a long-term perspective, sharing the vision of Danny Hillis to encourage extended thinking and responsibility. However, building a clock to last 10,000 years presents significant engineering challenges, requiring precision, durability, and adaptability to environmental conditions.

As of now, the completion date for the 10,000-Year Clock is unknown, and it is not open to the public. It is located in the Sierra Diablo range of West Texas, USA. There are some concerns about the project's allocation of resources and its impact on the natural landscape of the area where it is being built. However, Bezos remains committed to the idea that this monumental timepiece will inspire future generations to think beyond their time.

Installation has begun—500 ft tall, all mechanical, powered by day/night thermal cycles, synchronized at solar noon, a symbol for long-term thinking—the #10000YearClock is coming together thx to the genius of Danny Hillis, Zander Rose & the whole Clock team! Enjoy the video. pic.twitter.com/FYIyaUIbdJ

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 20, 2018

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