Alexander Rose
Emeritus Executive Director (01997- 02023) & Emeritus Member of the Board of Directors
Following a quarter century of leadership of The Long Now Foundation, Alexander Rose continues his work on The Clock of the Long Now and his research to discover the stories and lessons behind the world’s longest-lived organizations.
Alexander is an industrial designer and has been working with The Long Now Foundation and computer scientist Danny Hillis since 01997 to build a monument scale, all mechanical 10,000 Year Clock. Alexander speaks about the work of The Long Now Foundation all over the world at venues ranging from the TED conference to corporations and government agencies.
As the director of Long Now, Alexander founded The Interval, The Organizational Continuity Project, and has facilitated a range of projects including The Rosetta Project, Long Bets, Seminars About Long Term Thinking, Long Server and others. Alexander shares several design patents on the 10,000 Year Clock with Danny Hillis, the first prototype of which is in the Science Museum of London, and the monument scale version is now under construction in West Texas. Alexander is also an advisor to the METI project.
Alexander graduated with a bachelor of arts honors degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Industrial Design in 01995, as well as attended the Art Center College of Design. He was an artist in residence at Silicon Graphics Inc., and a founding partner of the robotics company Inertia Labs.
Alexander's combat robots have won over six world championship titles appearing in the hit TV show BattleBots. He has built large pyrotechnic displays for the Burning Man festival, robotic bartenders and other dangerous machines. Alexander was a world champion paintball player holding multiple world titles with his team the Ironmen from 1990 through 1995. At Carnegie Mellon University Alexander was the lead designer for a record setting human powered vehicle team.
Alexander lives in California in Marin County and enjoys mountain biking, mountaineering and other back country activities whenever he can get out.
Speaking engagements
- Ingite Marquee, San Francisco, CA, November 8th, 02022
- Baillie Gifford Private Investor Forum, Keynote in Virginia, September 02022
- A Long-Conversation on US-China Climate Change, Virtual event Virginia, March 22nd, 02022
- Mobile Coin Conference, San Francisco, CA, December 10th, 02021
- Baillie Gifford Private Investor Forum, Keynote in Scotland, September 02021
- iFixit, Online talk, June 25 02021
- Swedish Library Association, Keynote for annual conference (online), May 18th, 02021
- Long Now Seminar, Continuity: Discovering the Lessons behind the World’s Longest-lived Organizations, April 19th, 02021
- Future Generation Alliance, Keynote (online) April 8th, 02021
- InnerSource Summit, Virtual Keynote, Dec 2nd, 02020
- IMF Innovation Lab, Virtual, Nov 5th, 02020
- TEDx Bermuda, Bermuda, Oct 5th, 02019
- Smithsonian, 3D Digitization Conference Keynote, Washington DC, Oct 2nd, 02019
- Automattic, Grand Meetup Keynote, Orlando, Sep 15th, 02019
- Freakonomics Live recorded in San Francisco, CA on May 16th 02019
- PACLIM 2019, Extreme Events Conference Keynote, Asilomar CA, Feb 18th, 02019
- The Interval, Siberia: A Journey to the Mammoth Steppe, San Francisco CA, Jan 22nd, 02019
- NASA Langley, Colloquium and Sigma Lectures, Washington DC, Nov 6th, 02018
- Dare Mighty Things, Chicago, Oct 29th, 02018
- Google, Talks at Google, San Francisco CA, Aug 1st, 02018
- Maker Faire Barcelona, Barcelona Spain, June 16-17, 02018
- Sonar+D, Barcelona Spain, June 13-16, 02018
- The Battery, San Francisco, May 10th, 02018
- Panel on METI, Extraterrestrial NightLife at Cal Academy, San Francisco, Oct 19, 02017
- Tales of the Cocktail, Bartending Robots, New Orleans, July 21, 02017
- Odd Salon, Legacy, San Francisco, CA. Nov 22nd 02016
- Extreme Futures, keynote, San Francisco, CA. Oct 22nd 02016
- Tales of the Cocktail, Panel Discussion on the future of cocktails, New Orleans, LA, July 22, 02016
- PARC Forum Palo Alto, CA, June 30, 02016
- Google i/o conference Ignite Talk, Mountain View, CA, May 19, 02016
- IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (IFCS) Keynote, New Orleans, LA, May 9-12, 02016
- REAL Futures Panel, San Francisco, March 9th, 02016
- A+D Forum at SF MoMa FOG San Francisco, CA, Jan 14, 02016
- Co-curated and spoke at the 100 Years of Art and Science event at The DeYoung Museum, San Francisco, CA, Nov 20, 02015
- Real Future Fair, San Francisco, CA, Nov 8, 02015
- AIA Portland, Portland OR, Sept 17, 02015
- Asteroid Day Event, San Francisco, CA, June 30, 02015
- Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA, June 8, 02015
- Cal Academy Nightlife, San Francisco, CA, Mar 19, 02015
- A|E Advisors CEO Forum, Scottsdale AZ, Mar 3, 02015
- REAL 2015 San Francisco, CA, Feb 25, 02015
- LIFT 15, Geneva Switzerland, Feb 4-6, 02015
- EEC 14, Bilbao Spain, Nov 20, 02014
- The Interval, San Francisco CA, Oct 28, 02014
- Catalyst Week at Downtown Project, Las Vegas NV, July 25, 02014
- KA Connect keynote, San Francisco CA, June 3, 02014
- Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland CA, March 21, 02014
- Reinvent Longpath Thinking, Google Hangout, Nov 20, 02013
- International Conference on Accelerator & Large Experimental Physics Control Systems keynote, San Francisco CA, April 9th, 02013
- Art, Technology, and Culture Colloquium of the Berkeley Center for New Media, Berkeley CA, April 22, 02013
- Keynote for the COFES 2013 - Congress On the Future of Engineering Software, Scottsdale AZ, April 12, 02013
- US Naval Observatory, Washington DC, March 14, 02013
- Maine College of Art, Portland Maine, October 24, 02012
- OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Preservation of Records, Knowledge and Memory Across Generations workshop, Paris, France, September 12-14, 02012
- Dorkbot, San Francisco CA, July 25th, 02012
- Art Center College of Design, Pasadena CA, March 02012
- Chabot Space and Science Center, Oakland CA, March 02012
- The Art + Environment Conference, Reno, NV, Sep 29th, 02011
- Manifest - Tech Week, Chicago, IL, July 27th, 02011
- Singularity University, NASA Ames in Mountain View CA, July 12th, 02011
- IAEA Conference on Fusion, Keynote w/ Stewart Brand, CA, June 23rd, 02011
- 6th Momentum Biennial, Moss, Norway, Jun 19th, 02011
- Maker Faire, San Mateo, CA, Center Stage, May 22nd, 02011
- SETI Institute, May 18th, noon-1pm, 02011
- Sustain Vancouver, Vancouver Art Gallery, April 9th, 02011
- Long Now Salon Talk "Millennial Precedent", San Francisco, Apr 5th, 02011
- Keynote for Dolby Labs, San Francisco, February, 02011
- Now & When Discussion, San Francisco, August, 02010
- Stimulus TV, Webinar, June, 02010
- Transmediale, Berlin, Feb 2-7, 02010
- Long Finance Conference, London, Feb 1st 02010
- Art Center College of Design, Pasadena CA, October 02009
- NASA JPL, Pasadena CA, October 02009
- CalTech University, Pasadena CA, October 02009
- The Commonwealth Club, on The Rosetta Project with Dr. Laura Welcher, April 02009
- Stanford University, Rising Tide: The Arts and Environmental Ethics, April 02009
- IDSA Digging Deeper, July 22nd, 02008
- Hewlett Foundation Conversation, Why Time with Carlo Petrini, May 02008
- Stanford Graduate Product Design Lecture, February 02007
- UC Berkeley, Archiving the Avant-Garde, January 02007
- Royal Observatory at Greenwich, Speed of Time Conference, (keynote) January 02007
- American Institute of Architechts Future Perfect Conference (keynote) 02006
- Received the Erdman Campbell Award, Altanta 02006
- Digits Fugit! Preserving Knowledge into the Future (keynote), Boston, Nov 3rd 02005
- Plan B Democracy Conference in Helsinki, Finland, January 26th 02005
- Stanford Lecture Series in Design October 28th 02004
- TimeIn Design Conference in Eindhoven Holland, October 16-17, 02003
- Time Symposium (NAWCC) in St. Louis MO, October 22-25, 02003
- Long Term Preservation Conference, in Florence Italy, December 14th 02002.
- PARC forum, in Palo Alto CA, December 6th, 02001
- TED conference in Monterey CA, February 22, 02001
- Open Minds Masterclass in Glasgow Scotland, January 30, 02001
- Doors of Perception Conference in Amsterdam, November 11, 02000
- Viper Conference in Basel Switzerland, October 28, 02000
- 10,000 Year Library Conference, June 30, 02000
- University of San Francisco, October 7, 01999 & May 3, 02000
- SETI Institute, September 25, 01999
- Long Island University, Turning 2000 conference, October 15th, 01999
- Stanford Graduate Product Design Lecture, March, 01998
Writing and media appearances
- Quoted in The New York Times in How We Make Sense Of Time, Jan 1, 02022
- Newsweek Better Podcast with Dorie Clark on Linked In Dec 8, 02021.
- NEOLife's Biologically Inspired Gifts November 02021.
- ABC Radio Australia April 30th 02021.
- Singularity University Podcast released March 9th 02021.
- Through Conversations Podcast Recorded in January 02021.
- The Data of Long Lived Institutions published November 20th 02020.
- Freakonomics Podcast released June 13th 02019.
- Essay on the BBC Deep Future Series released June 12th 02019.
- Edge.org Interview about long-term institutions on April 24th 02019.
- The 26,000-Year Astronomical Monument Hidden in Plain Sight on January 29th 02019.
- Battery Creatives in Residence profile and Interview October 29, 2018.
- A Journey to Siberia in Search of Woolly Mammoths September 27, 2018.
- Quoted in The New York Times regarding technology and the future on January 3rd 02018.
- Appearing in multiple episodes of the TV show BattleBots (Discovery Channel and Science Channel) with his robot Bronco.
- Interview for SmartUp Portal to the Future: Alexander Rose and the 10,000-Year Clock in June of 02016.
- Appearance in Clock of the Long Now mini documentary by Adam Weber and Jimmy Goldblum released in November of 02015.
- Interview for On Books about Clock of the Long Now from June of 02016.
- Quoted in The Atlantic Raiders of the Lost Web Article in October of 02015.
- Interviewed for Reinvent on The Manual For Civilization in December of 02015.
- Author of Works In Progress A book about the projects of The Long Now Foundation
- Editor and contributor to the SALT Summaries A book on the Seminars About Long-term Thinking (also in Kindle form)
- Profile in Sunset Magazine 02014
- Cool Tools Podcast with Kevin Kelly and Mark Frauenfelder in July of 02015.
- Interview for The Conversation on May 30th 02012.
- Interview in Wired for How to Make a Clock Run for 10,000 Years in June of 02011.
- Interview on Discovery Network for Through the Wormhole aired on July 27th 02011
- Interviewed for Big Picture Science on June 3rd 02011
- Interviewed for The Story on NPR on May 19th 02011
- Interviewed for Here & Now on NPR on May 12th 02011
- Editor and co-author of Clock of the Long Now - Mechanical Drawings, Prototype One
- Article in State of the World 2010 by the World Watch Institute.
- Multiple product reviews in Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools
- Regular contributor to the Long Now web log
- Interviewed on To The Best of Our Knowledge PRI radio show in March of 09
- Interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning News episode in March of 09
- Appeared on History Channel pilot episode The ArchiTechs November 02006
- Winner on the Discovery Channel show Power Tool Drag Races (Feb-Apr 02005)
- Winner of the 02004 Popular Science design contest (July 02004 issue)
- Several reviews in The Whole Earth Magazine 02003 Winter Edition
- Listed in Richard Saul Wurman's "The most creative individuals in the USA"
- Review in the March 02002 Wired Magazine of Icosa Structures
- Review in the July 02001 Wired Magazine of the AFS Trinity Flywheel
- Review in the April 02001 Wired Magazine of a Honda Generator.
- Review in February 02001 Wired Magazine of Greg Bear's Darwin's Radio.
- Several reviews in The Whole Earth Magazine 02001 Tool Edition.
- Appeared on over 30 episodes of BattleBots
