Arthur Carlson wrote: > > This thread started with the Millennium Clock. The plan is to have > the clock tell clock time, but to synchronize it using the sun. I > would want it to still be accurate to the minute 10,000 years from > now. We have established that in that case it will have to take the > major changes in orbital parameters into account. Additionally I was > wondering if we should anticipate another calendrical reform in the > next 10,000 years. Although there would be ways to keep the months > better aligned with the seasons, say by making all millennium years > leap years, not just those divisible by 400, on a 10,000+ year time > scale things change so much that no rule will remain satisfactory for > "long". Whether future generations let the seasons drift, introduce > intercalary days ad hoc every few thousand years, or establish a > completely different calendar is impossible to predict. In > conclusion, I would base the primary display of the Millennium Clock > on the Gregorian calendar, with separate displays for other calendars > (Chinese, Moslem, Jewish, Mayan) and astronomical data (precession of > the equinoxes, phases of the moon). > > Art Carlson
Art, I agree with you, it is impossible to predict what future generations will decide to do with all the various calendar systems. I like your idea of providing separate displays for other calendars and astronomical data. This is certainly an ambitious and interesting project. I have bookmarked the link you provided... "http://www.longnow.org/index.html";... and I look forward to following its progress. Thanks! Pete Swanstrom.
