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Book review: “The Clock of the Long Now – Time and Responsibility” by Stewart Brand |
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So, this book is not really new. Not at all new, in fact. But I love this idea and this concept so much, I can´t not recommend it. And also, the subjects are not getting old anytime soon; time and responsibility. The book is written by Stewart Brand, a legend when it comes to futures thinking and all things digital. Google him and you´ll see what I´m talking about, if you don´t already know who he is.
The book describes a project, of which Steward Brand and some of the most interesting minds of our time (in my humble opinion) are the founders; the Millennial Clock project. They constitute The Long Now Foundation, which was founded in 1996 to foster long-term thinking and responsibility in the framework of the next 10 000 years. To help peoples minds actually grasp the concept of 10 000 years, the Foundation is building a Clock, and a Library. They call the Clock “the worlds slowest computer”. It is designed to run for ten millennia with minimal maintenance. It will be hundreds of feet tall, made by extremely hard steel, titanium and ceramic ball bearings, and powered by mechanical energy harvested from sunlight as well as the people that visit it. The entire mechanism will be installed in an underground facility in west Texas.
Amazingly enough, work has actually now began and the Clock is being built. If this fascinates you at all, read the book. Also, visit http://longnow.org/ to read more. If you follow along from there, to the blog, the pod and the people involved and their different achievements, you´ll have entertainment and inspiration for a long, long time.
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