The National Debt Clock Runs Out Of Space: Metaphor Overlooked

The national debt clock, the unofficial tracker of the federal deficit maintained by the Durst Organization in New York, has run out of space. Last month, when the national debt exceeded $10 trillion for the first time in history, the clock ran out of digits.

The Durst Organization had to delete the dollar sign and replace it with a one. They also put an makeshift dollar sign in the frame next to the 1 for the time being. They say a new model — with space for two extra digits — will be in place early next year.

The board was originally constructed in 1989 to highlight that year’s debt level of $2.7 trillion. Two more digits means the new clock will be able to reach the quadrillions. Judging from the parabolic increase in the national debt since 1980, it shouldn’t take us that long to reach that number. Look at a chart of the national debt over the years, adjusted for inflation: