90 seconds and we are Doomed

According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, humanity is closer to its own destruction than ever before.

According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, humanity is at a critical point, with only 90 seconds remaining until “midnight on the Doomsday Clock,” signifying our potential doom. This clock serves as a metaphor for how close we are to self-annihilation, and we have never been closer to the brink of apocalypse.

The Doomsday Clock, a metaphor for the proximity of humanity to self-annihilation, has been moved closer to midnight by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. This decision reflects the actual risks present in the world, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, growing nuclear tensions, escalating climate change, and the spread of false information campaigns.

While it’s just a metaphor, the decision to move the clock’s hands closer to midnight reflects real-world risks.

According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the primary reason for moving the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight this year is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The annual statement, which explains the decision, is available in English, Russian, and Ukrainian for the first time. The statement provides more information about the reasons behind the decision.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine has heightened the risk of nuclear weapon usage, the possibility of biological and chemical weapon usage, hindered the world’s response to climate change and impeded international efforts to address other global issues,” the statement reads.

The Doomsday Clock, created by artist Martyl Langsdorf for the Bulletin magazine in 1947, began at seven minutes to midnight. Langsdorf chose seven minutes as it “looked good to my eye,” according to reports.

The specific location of the clock’s hands on the clock was not as crucial as the actions of people that were causing harm or helping each other. The Bulletin magazine was created by scientists, including some who worked on the Manhattan Project, like Martyl’s physicist husband Alexander Langsdorf, to address the consequences of creating such a powerful and world-altering weapon after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Since its creation, the Bulletin has considered other threats brought by human actions, such as burning fossil fuels and spreading misinformation. The Doomsday Clock’s time is determined by the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board, with input from the Board of Sponsors, which included 11 Nobel Laureates this year.

The Doomsday Clock last moved forward in 2020, when it was set at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to the symbolic end of the world. This decision was made before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic later that year.

On a positive note, the clock’s hands can also move backwards if people take steps towards peace and protecting the planet. For instance, in 1991, with the end of the Cold War, the clock’s hands moved back to 17 minutes from midnight, the farthest it has ever been from the symbolic end of the world.