"90 Seconds to Doomsday: What Risks Does the Doomsday Clock Warn About?"

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BSA) announced on the 23rd (local time) that the Doomsday Clock will remain at 90 seconds.
[Photo by BSA website]

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BSA) announced on the 23rd (local time) that the second hand of the Doomsday Clock, symbolizing the time remaining until the end of the world, will remain at "90 seconds," the same as last year. The BSA had kept it at 100 seconds to midnight since 2020 but moved it forward to 90 seconds last year. This change was due to heightened concerns over nuclear use following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The BSA cited nuclear threats, climate change, and destructive technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and new biotechnology as the basis for this year's clock setting. Specifically, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons, the conflict between the nuclear-armed state Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the potential for a larger war involving nuclear-armed countries were mentioned. Climate change effects such as heatwaves and cold spells, rising sea surface temperatures, and glacier reduction were also noted.

Glaciers of the Swiss Alps Disappeared Due to Global Warming
[Image Source=Yonhap News]

Founded in 1945 by figures including Einstein, the BSA set the end of the world at midnight and has announced the Earth's time annually since 1947. The clock started at seven minutes to midnight and approached as close as two minutes to midnight in 1953 during the competitive nuclear testing between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was pushed back to as late as 17 minutes to midnight in 1991 following the signing of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. In 2020, due to concerns over Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs, the clock moved to 100 seconds to midnight, and last year it was moved forward to 90 seconds to midnight.

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