The closer the clock gets to midnight, the greater the perceived risk of disaster.
Photo: Jordan Benton/Pexels
Next Tuesday, January 24, 2023, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists will reveal how “humanity is close to self-annihilation.” Presentation of the symbolic doomsday clock this year.
The clock is currently at 100 seconds to midnight.depicting humanity as close as possible to a global catastrophe.
After a year of rising tensions between Russia and the West, will the minute hand move ever closer to 12 o’clock? We will know soon.
What is the doomsday clock?
The doomsday clock is a symbolic representation of the likelihood of a global catastrophelike nuclear war or climate change.
It is maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a non-profit organization, and is updated every year.
The clock is currently set at 100 seconds to midnight, which is the closest ever to a global catastrophe. The clock was first started in 1947 and has been reset 22 times since then.
The closer the clock gets to midnight, the greater the perceived risk of disaster.
Now the Atomic Scientists’ Bulletin, which maintains the clock, has determined that Russia’s actions contributed to the current setting of 100 seconds to midnight.
Specifically the statement has spearheaded the development and use of new nuclear weapons by Russiaand their involvement in conflicts in Syria and Ukraine as contributing factors to the perceived threat of global catastrophe.
He has also highlighted Russia’s disdain for global climate change and a lack of efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The clock is furthest since midnight in 1991after the United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to reduce nuclear weapons.
At this moment, The clock was set for 17 minutes to midnight. Since then, the minute hand has continued to evolve.
The catastrophic threat of climate change was first identified by the Bulletin as a factor in the adjustment of the hand in 2007, when the clock was adjusted from seven minutes to midnight to five minutes to midnight.
In 2020, the clock has been set at 100 seconds to midnight, closer than ever.
“Nuclear war ending civilization … is a real possibility,” Bulletin editor John Mecklin said in a statement after the watch was unveiled earlier this year.
“It is undeniable that climate change is occurring that could devastate the planet. And for a variety of reasons … democratic governments and institutions that should be working to address these threats are not up to the challenge,” he added.
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