10,000 Year Clock

**nitsuJ** · 12-30-2011 09:15 PM

Not sure if this should go here or the Science section, but anyways:

I was watching the Science channel yesterday and I saw this clock on Through the Wormhole. It was an episode about increasing life expectancy trying to grasp immortality. I thought it was pretty cool though.

Here's the article talking about it:

Introduction - 10,000 Year Clock - The Long Now

Here is a website dedicated to it:

10,000 Year Clock

It's pretty neat to think that hopefully without problems this thing will be ticking for 10,000 years. Imagine if it does and this planet is still very much alive by then what it'd be like for people to find this. It will be like a relic from our time.

**ThePreserver** · 01-01-2012 04:39 AM

I like that it focuses on trying to solve problems that are bigger than ourselves and bigger than our lifetime. There are environmental and ethical issues that we can push off into the future, or we can use simple, short-term bandaids to repair, only to let things fall apart for the next generation. It brings up a good mindset: creating something that will CONTINUE to be successful far into the future (a much needed industry mindset.) Too much short term action.

**Firebat11** · 01-01-2012 06:33 AM

Time and tide wait for no man....

Cool idea, Hopefully this project will see through for future generations

**cmind** · 01-01-2012 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by ThePreserver

It brings up a good mindset: creating something that will CONTINUE to be successful far into the future (a much needed industry mindset.) Too much short term action.

That's pure arrogance, to think that you can predict what the needs and wants of society will be even 10 years from now. No man or group of men can know such things. The best system we humans have found for trying to approximate the most efficient use of scarce resources is free market capitalism (not what exists in the US currently, mind you). If the free market determines that it's more efficient to build new things instead of making old things indestructible, then who the hell are you to argue?

Now, if actual fraud is involved, or state-imposed regulations distort the market, then those are definitely issues. But those are evils that the market copes with, and are no indication of the market itself failing in any way.

**ThePreserver** · 01-02-2012 12:13 AM

You're right. It would be much better to completely neglect our duties to leave functioning ecosystems for future generations to be allowed to breathe oxygen, have clean water, etc.

If the free market determines that it's more efficient to make resources completely un-reusable (which currently markets DO) I am definitely one to argue; it means there will be no resources LEFT for future generations to use.

Most current business models are unsustainable; it's in the best interest of businesses in the long-term to sustain themselves and consumers; but at this rate there isn't much of a future beyond this century. How would planning ahead be detrimental?