Why is Jeff Bezos building a US$42 million, 150-metre tall clock that will last for 10,000 years, in a remote Texas mountain?

Aug 19 , 2020

Jeff Bezos at New Shepard's West Texas launch facility before the rocket's maiden voyage, which is also where Bezos is housing The Clock of the Long Now. Photo: AFP

It seems the Amazon billionaire is fascinated with both space and now time, with a chiming clock that’ll play unique melodies at random intervals, programmed to play only new tunes over the course of 10,000 years

Does Jeff Bezos intend to live to be 10,000 years old? Why else would he spend US$42 million on building a 10,000-year clock inside a mountain in Texas?

Jeff Bezos is dropping US$42 million to build a clock that will run for 10,000 years. Photo: DPA

Dubbed “The Clock of the Long Now”, Bezos revealed via Twitter that installations began earlier in the year. He posted footage of work in progress, which is located inside a mountain in the Sierra Diablo mountain range in Texas.

The mechanical clock, according to Bezos’ tweet, is powered by day/night thermal cycles. It will reportedly measure 150 metres in diameter (500 feet).

The tech billionaire shared that the project was based on a design that first came to light in 1986 by computer scientists and MIT professor Danny Hillis.

The two began talks of building the clock back in 2005, and began building the clock in 2018. According to the project’s website, there’s no projected date of completion.

The piece is described as measuring several hundred feet and is designed to run for 10,000 years. The chiming clock will play melodies only once, at random intervals, programmed to play a unique tune each time over the course of 10,000 years.