Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, bought a mountain in Texas with plans to put a clock inside. But not just any clock. Scientist Danny Hillis conceived of a special timepiece. It would tick once a year, and a hand would move every 100 years. A cuckoo would pop out every millennium. The clock itself would last 10,000 years.
Bezos put down $42 million to realize the mechanical wonder. He was enamored with the idea that the 152-meter-tall (500 ft) clock would outlast the United States, several civilizations, and perhaps all known governing systems.
In 2018, installation began inside the Sierra Diablo site. To power the clock for 10,000 years, thermal energy will be harvested from the mountain’s natural day-night cycle. It can also be wound up by visitors.