Where does the intersection of art, culture, science, and philosophy meet? For me, it was when I first heard the chimes of The Clock of the Long Now.
The Clock of the Long Now was designed to make us think. How can we make decisions, tangible decisions, today, for something, say, 10,000 years in the future? Can we even think that far ahead? But The Clock of the Long Now is also physical, not just an idea. Dug out of a mountain in west Texas and built to run for ten millennia, it is powered with mechanical energy harvested from sunlight. And it's created out of marine grade 316 stainless steel, titanium, and dry-running ceramic ball bearings. The Clock of the Long Now works on many levels, both mechanical and mythical. Its chimes reveal a level of beauty.
Brian Eno co-designed the chimes to ring a series of ten bells in a different sequence each day over the course of 10,000 years. Eno was so inspired that he created the album "January 07003: Bell Studies for The Clock of the Long Now." The chimes are the only music you will hear throughout our entire show this week, Time Beyond the Clock. You'll also hear interviews on the topic. As I sat down alone and listened to this music, I couldn’t help but consider the passage of time. And a question arose. One that, in light of the specter of Global Warming, we all should be asking: “Are we being the best ancestors we can be?”
And if you really love the music, you can buy the Brian Eno CD and listen to it, over and over again.
-Charles
