What Does “Deep Time” Mean to You?

By Helen Thompson

Smithsonian Magazine

September 9, 2014

An art exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences offers perspective on our geological past and future

Earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old—a number that is hard for humans to grasp. “For someone whose life expectancy is usually less than 100 years, it’s nearly impossible to imagine something so vast as geological or deep time,” says J.D. Talasek, director of cultural programs at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.

To help us wrap our heads around this time scale, Talasek and his team identified 18 works by 15 artists across the country that provide some perspective. A light installation that evokes the infinite scope of time, a traditional oil painting that looks like rock strata and a sound sculpture that reads seismic waves like a musical score are among the pieces on display in “Imagining Deep Time,” an exhibition now at the National Academy of Sciences headquarters through January 2015.

Read the full article here.

‍

‍