The annual Doomsday Clock update is almost set. This serves as a symbol of how close the world is to a catastrophe that could mark the end of a civilization.
Doomsday Clock Explained
The Doomsday Clock was first set in 1947. It warns humanity regarding how close or far humanity is from destroying the world through novel, dangerous technologies. According to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, which sets the time every January, the Doomsday Clock serves as a metaphor and a reminder of the dangers humanity must address in order to survive.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists was founded in 1945 by scientists from the University of Chicago who made the earliest nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project.
They made the clock in 1947 using apocalypse, or midnight, imagery as well as the contemporary idiom of a nuclear explosion to convey the threats to Earth and humanity.
Every year, experts from the group choose whether events from the prior year push humanity further or closer to destruction. The clock relays how close humanity is to destroying civilization with destructive technologies.
At present, the clock is set to 90 seconds to midnight. This is the closest it has been to midnight in history. Midnight signifies Doomsday.
In 2022, it was set at 100 seconds to midnight; while in 2019, it was set to 2 minutes to midnight. In 1953, it was also set to two minutes to midnight, and in 1991, it was set to 17 minutes to midnight.
The 22 members of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin are the ones who set the clock every year. This happens during their consultations with the Board of Sponsors, which covers 11 Nobel laureates.
Through the years, the White House, the Kremlin, and other leadership of several other nations have referenced the Doomsday Clock. While not everyone agrees with the settings of the clock, it is quite respected for its scientific stance and the questions asked.
Read also: Doomsday Clock Countdown: Scientists Reveal Annihilation Time Once Minute Hand Strikes at Midnight
Doomsday Clock 2024 Announcement
In recent years, the settings of the clock have reflected nuclear war risk and uncontrolled climate change dangers.
In 2024, the clock is set to be updated on January 23, Tuesday, at 10:00 a.m. EST in Washington, DC. The latest announcement was in January 2023. It came before the Israel-Hamas war started and amidst the tension regarding the invasion of Russia on Ukraine.
According to Rachel Bronson, the CEO and president of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, nuclear risk and climate change continue to play huge contributory factors in setting the Doomsday Clock's timing. This comes as the effects of the climate crisis become more felt as nuclear escalation threats in Ukraine and the global nuclear arms race keep largely looming.
Bronson explains that each year, the board gathers to question if humanity is safer or is at greater risk compared to the last time the clock was set. This means that time could move forward but also backward based on leadership action and global contribution.
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