The Doomsday clock, a symbolic doomsday clock dial, has been updated by scientists. The clock is now set at 90 seconds before midnight, which symbolizes the apocalypse. Scientists, on the other hand, draw attention to the increasing extinction risks for the Earth once again and call for dialogue.The clock, set at 90 seconds to midnight, shows how close our planet is to total destruction due to man-made actions. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) says the watch was moved largely because of the war in Ukraine. Representing a nuclear extinction scenario, the clock shows the time until humanity’s self-destruct.
What is the Doomsday Clock?
The idea of the Doomsday Clock originated in 1947 to warn humanity of the dangers of nuclear war. The Doomsday Clock was created after the nuclear bombs dropped on Japan by the United States in 1945, and it showed 7 minutes until extinction that year. The clock was moved 18 times from 1947 to 2007.
The hands of the clock are moved near or far from midnight, depending on the scientists’ readings of existential threats at a given time. Midnight marks the theoretical point of extinction.
What are scientists talking about with the Doomsday Clock?
The decision to set the clock is made by the BAS science and safety committee, which includes 13 Nobel Prize winners. This year’s announcement was made available in Ukrainian and Russian, as well as English, due to the war in Ukraine. In the statement, threats to “Russia’s covert use of nuclear weapons” were mentioned.This year’s announcement also includes climate change, biological threats and disruptive technologies. The Board also warns world leaders against mass epidemics such as Covid-19, whether natural, accidental or intentional, and emphasizes that comprehensive measures should be taken.
The Doomsday Clock remained fixed at 100 seconds to midnight in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Now, for the first time, it’s set to the nearest 90 seconds to midnight. The hour’s hands were farthest so far, just after the end of the Cold War, at 17 minutes to midnight.
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson said of the new update: “The Doomsday Clock is sounding the alarm for all of humanity. We are on the brink of an abyss. But our leaders are not moving fast enough.”
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