Scientists have changed the time on the Doomsday Clock (and not in a good way)


Alexander Schmid

January 24, 2023 at 6:45 p.m.

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Apocalypse Clock © © Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

© Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The doomsday clock indicates that we are only 90 seconds away from the end of the world.

In 2018, the Committee of Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the time of the Doomsday Clock (also known as the Doomsday Clock) to 120 seconds from midnight, symbolizing the death of mankind. In 2020, we were already 100 seconds away, and we are still approaching the fateful hour in 2023.

War in Ukraine and nuclear danger

Indeed, the non-profit organization, created in 1945 and which set up the concept of the apocalypse clock in 1947 (it had been placed at 7 minutes from midnight, at the time), has just announcing that humanity is now 90 seconds from the end of the world. It had never been so close to midnight, even during the most tense episodes of the Cold War.

The main reason leading to this decision to bring the hour closer to midnight is the war in Ukraine. ” Ukraine’s sovereignty and broader European security arrangements, which have largely held since the end of World War II, are at stake “, explains the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Furthermore, Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised deep questions about how states interact, eroding the norms of international behavior that underpin effective responses to a variety of international risks. “, added the board of the organization in its press release.

According to the institution, Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalating the conflict – by accident, intent or miscalculation – is a terrible risk “. She believes that the chances of the conflict escalating and spiraling out of control ” stay high “.

War also hinders the fight against climate change

Another concern of scientists is the holding of Russian military operations on the nuclear sites of Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia. These are actions violating international protocols and potentially leading to the large-scale release of radioactive materials “, warns the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

The council also recalls that the nuclear weapons treaty between Russia and the United States will expire in February 2026, and that negotiations for a renewal are currently stalled. The world has entered a period of nuclear danger unprecedented since the height of the cold war “, had already warned Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, last August.

The nuclear danger is not the only threat hanging over humanity. The committee is concerned that the effects of the war will also undermine global efforts to combat climate change. ” Countries dependent on Russian oil and gas have sought to diversify their supplies and suppliers, leading to an increase in investment in natural gas exactly when such investment should have decreased. “, regret the specialists, very pessimistic as for the future of humanity.

Source : Vice



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