The 10,000 Year Clock of the Long Now (Main)
Experience The Clock of the Long Now in this gallery exhibition. The Clock of the Long Now is being built by the Long Now Foundation inside a remote mountain in West Texas. It's designed to keep accurate time for 10,000 years. It's powered by the temperature change from day to night and synchronized to the correct time by a beam of sunlight that shines deep into the mountain. It's entirely mechanical, with a mechanism hundreds of feet tall.
- Date:
- Monday, September 23, 2024 Show more dates
- Time:
- 2:00pm - 4:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Branches:
- Main Library
- Audience:
- Adult
- Categories:
- Exhibit STEAM
The Clock marks time with astronomic and calendric displays and a chime generator that can produce over 3.5 million unique bell chime sequences — one for every day the Clock is visited for the next 10,000 years. Visiting the Clock will take a commitment; the nearest airport is several hours away by car and the foot trail to the Clock is rugged, rising almost 2,000 feet above the valley floor.
Representatives of Long Now Boston will take questions and present photos and artifacts of the clock each weekday during the Cambridge Science Festival. Stop by to see engineering drawings and construction photos. Learn more about long-term thinking and engineering on a millennial timescale.
This event is part of Cambridge Science Festival, a celebration showcasing the leading edge in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). A multifaceted, multicultural event, the Festival makes science accessible, interactive and fun, highlighting the impact of STEAM in all our lives.
The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.