Rayotek Scientific, Inc. 10,000 Year Clock Subcontractor
San Diego, CA, April 1, 2015 (Newswire.com) - A clock is currently being built that will keep ticking off time for 10,000 years. 10,000 years ago humans transitioned from a nomadic lifestyle to a more sedentary life based on domestication of plants and animals. The intention of the clock is to measure out a future of human civilization that’s equal to its sedentary past.
Once completed the 200 foot tall clock will live 500 feet deep inside a mountain in West Texas. Danny Hillis of Applied Invention has been thinking about and designing this clock for 26 years. It’s being funded by and constructed on the land of Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos. The clock’s exotic components of sapphire, ruby, fused silica and titanium are under construction by a handful of very high-end subcontractors, including Rayotek.
Supporting creative endeavors and helping to bring dreams to fruition is one of our credos and greatest joys.
Jessica Yadley, CFO
Rayotek Scientific was chosen as part of the project due to its expertise and reputation for engineering and manufacturing high precision optics. Rayotek will be making a 29” diameter fused quartz lens and several large fused quartz prisms. The lens and prisms are part of a synchronizing mechanism that will help the clock keep accurate time. When the sun is at its zenith, the prisms and lens steer light energy to an underground pressure vessel, which then heats up and triggers a mechanical alignment sequence calibrating clock time with celestial time.
The all mechanical clock is designed to chime once a day with a never repeating combination of melodies created by composer Brian Eno. It will be powered by the temperature difference from day to night, and some parts will be powered by the people who visit the Clock.
Once completed, the clock will be open to the public, but only the hardy and committed will be able to make the journey starting at dawn to reach the Clock. The drive from the nearest airport is several hours. Then follows a hike up a rugged foot trail, rising almost 2,000 feet above the valley floor to the Clock’s entrance. For more details on the project go to http://longnow.org/clock.
Jessica Yadley, CFO of Rayotek commented, "It's so exciting to be part of a project that has the potential of having such a long lasting impact and so much public involvement. Supporting creative endeavors and helping to bring dreams to fruition is one of our credos and greatest joys.”
About Rayotek Scientific, Inc.
Since 1992 Rayotek has been engineering and manufacturing sapphire, glass, fused quartz and fused silica products, enabling world class companies to bring cutting-edge products to market. Rayotek’s expertise is creating solutions for challenging customer needs; leading projects from the conceptual stage, through engineering and design, to final manufacture.
Rayotek specializes in sight windows, high-pressure systems, optical materials, large optics shaping, testing and methods of sealing optical materials to metals and ceramics. Rayotek services the deep sea, aeronautics, space, petroleum and semiconductor industries. With a staff of engineers and scientists supported by an extensive array of research and manufacturing equipment, Rayotek creates solutions for the most challenging conditions.
The company is headquartered at 11499 Sorrento Valley Road, San Diego, CA 92121. Please visit www.rayotek.com or www.rayoteksightwindows.com or contact Jessica Yadley (858) 558-3671 or jessica@rayotek.com for further information.
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