For the fifth project, the GarageBand Composition, I have created a musical piece inspired by the Clock of the Long Now. As the name might suggest, the Clock of the Long Now is a clock.
However, unlike most ordinary clocks, this clock has been designed to run for 10,000 years with perfect accuracy. From an engineering perspective it was designed with the following things in mind:
(1) The clock, "must remain accurate for 100 centuries while sitting on an atmospherically, geologically, and worst of all, culturally violent planet."
(2) "To forestall looting (the bane of many built-for-the-ages projects, such as the Egyptian pyramids), it cannot contain parts made of jewels and expensive metals."
(3) "In case of societal collapse, it must be maintainable with Bronze Age technology."
(4) "It must be understandable while intact, so that no one will want to take it apart."
From the perspective of creative expression, the clock's message is a powerful one. The idea behind the clock is to coerce people into expanding their view across time, not just thinking
in terms of tomorrow or even a decade from now, but for thousands of years. It encourages people to see their existence as part of the whole, infinitely small yet infinitely important.
Although we might be the tiniest mice running in an enourmous ball, all of our movements help direct the ball.
The quoted material here was taken from an article which goes into much
greater detail about the clocks workings and reasons and can be read here. In addition, more information about the foundation behind the clock
as well as some of their other projects can be found here.
The song may be downloaded here.
