The Doomsday Clock has been moved forward
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock forward, to 85 seconds to midnight, signalling the closest it believes humanity has ever been to global disaster. Science and security leaders cited rising geopolitical tensions, climate issues and the unchecked rise of AI as the main factors behind the movement.
The Doomsday Clock, founded by Albert Einstein, J. Robert Oppenheimer and fellow Manhattan Project scientists, was created nearly 80 years ago as a barometer measuring how close humanity may be to ruin. Before Tuesday's announcement, the clock stood at 89 seconds to midnight, the first time the Bulletin had opted to remove the minute measurement to reflect what it called an “unprecedented proximity” to global catastrophe. 'In every area, we have failed to take the steps necessary to reduce risks,' said Steve Fetter, member of the Science and Security Board, ahead of the announcement. 'And there are new developments in every area that make the risks greater.' Midnight on the clock represents global disaster, and the clock now stands much closer to this point of no return than when it was first introduced, seven minutes to midnight. Since 2007 the clock has also included climate change as a major risk to humanity. But, it can be moved back and forth, with it last being moved backwards in 2010, one minute further from midnight, thanks to improved diplomatic relations and cooperation on nuclear security. The safest setting ever recorded was 17 minutes to midnight in 1991, following the end of the Cold War. Since 2015, however, the clock has moved steadily closer to disaster. Even at the height of Cold War tensions between the U.S. and the Soviets, in 1984, it stood at three minutes to midnight.
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