![]() ![]() The Doomsday Clock is set by the Bulletin's Science and Security Board in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes 11 Nobel laureates. In 1991, amid the 'end of history' euphoria and optimism as the Soviet Union collapsed, the clock was put back to 17 minutes to midnight, but it has been ticking forward since Image: Chicago Tribune/picture alliance Initially its main focus was the prospect of a world-ending nuclear conflagration in the Cold War, but the group has since broadened its scope to include other threats to humanity and the planet, such as climate change. Two years later, the group created the Doomsday Clock to symbolically tick towards midnight, the point of a hypothetical global catastrophe. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein and the University of Chicago. The group of scientists that set the Clock did welcome "last year's leadership change in the United States" suggesting it had "provided hope that what seemed like a global race toward catastrophe might be halted and even reversed." The Doomsday Clock is located at the Bulletin offices at the University of Chicago.The "Doomsday Clock" which represents the perils to human existence remains at 100 seconds to midnight this year, with advances like COVID-19 vaccines offset by rising misinformation and threats of conflict. Efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to secure these plants so far have been rebuffed." ![]() Russia has also brought its war to the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor sites, violating international protocols and risking widespread release of radioactive materials. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone's control remains high. And worst of all, Russia's thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict-by accident, intention, or miscalculation-is a terrible risk. The Doomsday Clock statement about the change said in part, "Russia's war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks. The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Science and Security Board with the support of the Bulletin's Board of Sponsors are responsible for setting the Doomsday Clock. The US government, its NATO allies and Ukraine have a multitude of channels for dialogue we urge leaders to explore all of them to their fullest ability to turn back the Clock." "Ninety seconds to midnight is the closest the Clock has ever been set to midnight, and it's a decision our experts do not take lightly. "We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality," Rachel Bronson, PhD, president and CEO, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, said. The Doomsday Clock was previously set at 100 seconds to midnight in 2020. The stewards of the clock meet annually to discuss re-setting the clock based on current world events. ![]() The clock is a metaphor for how close humanity is to self annihilation. The climate crisis and the breakdown of global norms and institutions needed to deal with biological risks such as COVID-19 were also cited. ![]() The clock has now been set to 90 seconds to midnight, with the war in Ukraine, increased nuclear escalation influencing the decision. The Doomsday Clock is ticking and it's never been closer to catastrophe.ĬHICAGO - The Doomsday Clock has been set to its closest time to midnight in its history, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced Tuesday. ![]()
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