Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight
The Doomsday Clock, is a metaphor used by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to visualize the threat of global annihilation from unchecked scientific and technological advances, has been moved closer to midnight.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has increased the risk of nuclear weapons use, raised the specter of biological and chemical weapons use, hamstrung the world’s response to climate change, and hampered international efforts to deal with other global concerns,” the Chicago-based non-profit organization said in a statement.
The clock was reset from 100 seconds to 90 seconds, the closest it has ever been to midnight, due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has increased the risk of nuclear escalation. The climate change crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic also influenced the new time. The clock is set closer or further from midnight based on the scientists’ assessment of existential threats at a particular time, with midnight representing doomsday. This is the first time the clock has reflected a world in which Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revived fears of nuclear war. Since its debut in 1947, the minute hand on the Doomsday Clock has been moved 25 times.
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